keepe the persecutors clothes that stoned Stephen Act. 7.58 whereby he signified his consent thereupon hee confesseth himselfe to bee guiltie of his death Act. 22.20 Lastly obserue the Cause or rather the Occasion that mooued the Parents to saue their childe It was a notable comlinesse and beautie which did appeare in the body of the childe when hee was borne This mooued them to reason thus with themselues Surely God hath giuen such beautie and comelinesse vnto this childe that it is very likely he will vse him hereafter to be some notable instrument of some great worke we therefore will keepe him aliue This point must be marked of vs for beside their natural affection this also was a motiue to make the parents saue their childe Hence wee may learne that those whom God will imploy aboue others in some speciall seruice for his owne glory are vsually endowed with some speciall gift aboue others yea many times with outward grace and comelinesse in the body For this beauty in Moses body moued his parents to seeke to saue his life they perswade themselues that God had not imprinted that in him for nought Saul wee know was made King ouer Israel and it is noted that the Lord had giuen him a goodly stature for hee was higher than any of the people from the shoulders vpward So Dauid had a good countenance and a comely visage for the Lord purposed to make him king ouer Israel Now as he did excell his brethren in beauty and comelinesse so he was to be far aboue them in this special seruice of God in gouerning his people Hence we learne first that comelinesse and beautie is a gift of God Secondly that those which excell others in these gifts of nature must looke also that answerably they excell them in holinesse and zeale in the seruice of God and doing good vnto men as Moses and Dauid did But alas wretched is the practice of these times for commonly those which haue comlinesse and beauty aboue others doe vse it as a bait occasion vnto all sin naughtinesse as to whoredome and lasciuiousnesse that heereby they may more fully satisfie their own wretched and fatanicall lusts but this must carefully be looked vnto of all such as haue the gifts of nature in more excellent manner then others For if they vse them or rather abuse them to be meanes of sinne and to set forth the pride and vanity of their hearts they haue much to answer for vnto God at the dreadfull day of Iudgement Hath God giuen thee beauty comelinesse and doest thou vse it as a baite to ensnare others for the satisfying of thy lust then looke vnto it thou euill seruant for thou doest not hide but consume thy Masters talent imploying it to his dishonour therefore it shall be taken from thee and in stead thereof thou shalt haue vglinesse and deformity and so in soule and body be tumbled into hell with vncleane spirits And thus much of the first action of their faith with the circumstances thereof The second action whereby the faith of Moses Parents is commended vnto vs is this They did not feare the Kings commaundement These words must not be vnderstoode absolutely and simply but with limitation For manie places of Scripture are spoken simply which must bee vnderstoode with respect as when it is said Math. 11.18 Iohn came neither eating nor drinking that is not eating nothing at all but eating little and Christ saith Math. 10.34 He came not to bring peace but the sword that is as Luke expounds it Luk. 12.51 rather debate than peace And so in this place Moses parents feared not the Kings commandement that is they did not feare it ouermuch or wholly or onely or so much as others did in the like case Here then first we may learne how farre forth we must obey superiours and magistrates we must obey them not simply but in the Lord Ephes. 6.1 that is in all their lawful commands but when they commaund things euill and vnlawfull then we must stay our selues lest obeying them we rebell against God For this wee haue sufficient warrant in this place as also in the Apostles who beeing commanded Act. 4.18 19. that in no wise they should speake or teach in the name of Iesus answered Whether it be right in the sight of God to obey you rather than God iudge ye And the midwiues of Egypt are commended of the holy Ghost Exod. 1.17 for sauing the yong children aliue against the Kings commandement And the three men of the Iewes Shadrach Meshach and Abednego are renowmed with all posterity for disobeying the commandement of Nebuchadnessar Dan. 3.16 17. of worshipping the golden Image By which examples we may see plainely that our obedience to men must be in the Lord onely Neither is our refusing to doe their vnlawfull commaunds any disobedience indeede because the fift commandement in this case ceaseth to binde and giues place to the commandements of the first table which are greater as wee shewed before v. 17. Secondly see here this godly boldnesse in not ouermuch fearing the Kings commandement is made a worke of faith whence we learne that true faith in the promises of God doth serue to moderate a mans affections There is no man but if he be left to himselfe he will goe too farre in the sway of his affections experience sheweth that many through anger and ioy haue lost their liues some for feare haue forsaken religion and sorrow hath cost many a man his life Yea any affection if it be not moderated and stayed will bereaue a man of his senses and make him a beast and no man But behold the vse and power of true faith It serueth to mitigate a mans affection so as if a man be angry it shall be with moderation and so wee may say of feare ioy hatred or any other affection faith will asswage and stay the rage thereof For vndoubtedly Moses parents might haue beene ouerwhelmed with feare of Pharaohs tyrannie and cruelty but that God gaue thē faith which did moderate this feare There is none of vs but if wee looke well into our selues wee shall see that we are excessiue in many affections sometime in feare sometime in anger sometime in sorrow and such like Now would we know how to bridle these strong passions Then get true faith it is the meanes whereby a man may moderate and stay the rage of his affectiōs so as they shall not break out into extremitie Is a man angrie why if hee haue faith hee will bridle his anger Is he sorrowfull yet it is in measure and so for the rest faith will rule them all and yet extinguisheth none Which should greatly prouoke vs to labour for true faith seeing it is of such vse and power in the stay of our affections Verse 24. By faith Moses when he was come to age refused to bee called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter 25. And chose rather to suffer aduersitie with
priuat reuenge and so it maketh nothing against lawfull warre For what though a priuate man may not reuenge himselfe nor make warre yet that hindereth not but that a Magistrate who beares the sword may lawfully vse it Againe it is friuolous to imagine that resisting is onely by a weapon for the chiefe resistance that God respecteth is in the heart and affection And a priuat man may resist that is breake this commandement by vnlawful resistance though he carry no weapon and the publike person breake it not though he make warre Obiect 2. Secondly they obiect the prophecy of Isay who speaking of the kingdome of Christ vnder the Gospel saith That then they shall turne their swords into scithes and their spears into mattocks therfore say they there must be no warre vnder the Gospel Ans. That Prophecy signifies that in Christs kingdom there must be great loue and peace wonderfull concord among all the true seruants of God But here they take aduantage say If this be so what then needeth any warre Ans. We must knowe that as there bee two kindes of Kingdomes a spirituall kingdome and a politicke so there be two kindes of peace spirituall and politicke Spirituall peace is inward in the Church and politicke peace is outward in the common wealth Spirituall peace i◠begun and preserued by spirituall meanes of grace in the ministery of the Church but warre is an ordinary meanes for the establishing and preseruing of politicke peace Secondly hence wee learne that Gods people may make warre not onely by way of defence but also in assault vpon their enemies that according to Gods word For here it is said that Gedeon Sampson Dauid the rest by faith subdued Kingdoms making warre against them by way of assault and not in defence onely Indeede speciall care ought to bee had that offensiue warre in assaulting an enemie be made vpon iust good grounds one speciall ground or cause is heere implied in this worke of faith to wit the recouery of iust right in matters of importance for the Kingdoms of Canaan were giuen to the Israelites by God himselfe and for the recouery of them they made warre by way of assault So when Lot was taken Captiue by Keder-laomer the Kings of the Nations Abraham Lots kinsman gathers his seruants together and pursues the Kings and ouertaking them destroyed them for the recouerie of Lot and his goods Other respects there be for which offensiue warre in assault may be made but because they are not heere mentioned I will not propound them The second fruite of their faith is this they wrought righteousnesse that is some of these men in their places wherein God had set them gaue to euery man his owne This working of righteousnesse consists in two things First in giuing rewards to such as deserued them Secondly in inflicting due punishment according to mens deserts In both these the men before named did all excell but especially two of them Dauid and Samuel for Dauid it is a wonder to see how righteous he was for when he was anointed King in Sauls steed and Saul reiected how did hee behaue himselfe towards Saul Did hee seeke Sauls blood No But when Saul hunted him as the hunter doth the Partridge Dauid euen then gaue himselfe to studie and practice righteousnesse yea when Saul was fallen into his hands both in the Caue and asleepe in the campe 1. Samuel chapter 24. verses 5 6. c. and chapter 26. verses 7 8 he would not touch him nor suffer others to doe him hurt because hee was the Lords anointed yea so righteous was Dauid towards Saul that his heart smote him for cutting off but the lappe of his coate Therefore Dauid is heere commended especiallie for this effect of faith the working of righteousnesse To apply this vnto our times If this be a fruite of faith thus to worke righteousnesse then what may be saide of the Church of Rome and of the Popish sort among vs They pretend the auncient faith and none must be so good beleeuers and Catholikes as they but how doe they shewe this their faith Is it by the practice of righteousnesse Doe they giue to euery one his due Nay verily but they set themselues to worke the ruine of Kingdomes that ioyne not with them in religion This witnesse their manifolde diuellish plots against our State from time to time This did not Dauid no not against Saul though hee were reiected of God and also most vniustly sought his death But they haue many times sought the death of the Lords anointed ouer vs whereby they declare their state to all the world that they haue no sparke of true faith at all for true faith will make a man practice righteousnesse and innocencie And therefore we may iudge of them and all their adherents that be of this mind to allow such practices that they haue none other but the faith of diuels which is to beleeue the word of God to be true This the diuels do with trembling And as their faith is diuellish so are the fruites thereof namely treachery and falshood such as the diuel most approues But we must learne that true faith is especially commended by these fruites The study and practice of innocency and the maintaining of peace in Christian estates for true faith and treachery and contention wil no more stand together than light and darknesse Secondly Samuel also wrought righteousnesse as appeareth by his protestatio before all Israel whē he gaue vp his office of gouernment ouer them vnto Saul 1. Sam. 12.3 Behold saith hee heere am I beare record of mee before the Lord and before his anointed whose Oxe haue I taken or whose Asse haue I taken or whom haue I done wrong to or whom haue I hurt or of whose hand haue I receiued any bribe to blinde mine eyes therewith and I will restore it Now as these two Samuel and Dauid were famous for this fruite of faith in working righteousnesse So likewise were the Iudges and Prophets before named in their places carefull of this vertue and did practice the same partly in rewarding the good and partly in punishing the wicked But some will say To worke righteousnesse cannot be a fruit of faith for the very Heathen which neuer heard of Christ by the light of nature haue done Iustice and are highly commended by Heathen Writers for the same Now that which the Heathen can doe by the light of nature is not thus to be extolled as a fruite of faith Answer True it is the Heathen haue done many workes of iustice but we must wisely consider that euery iust worke is not a fruite of faith vnlesse it be done by a righteous person in obedience to God and for his glory But in all these the Heathen failed in their workes For though the things they did were good in themselues yet seeing the Heathen were corrupt trees remaining in the sinfull state of corrupt nature their workes
the people of God than to enioy the pleasures of sinne for a season 26. Esteeming the rebuke of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt For hee had respect vnto the recompence of reward HEre the holy Ghost comes to the commendation of Moses faith and in these three verses propounds a most notable example hereof By Moses faith in this place we must vnderstand sauing faith which is nothing else but a gift of GOD whereby Moses receiued the promise of God touching saluation by the Messias and of the promised Land made to Abraham and to his seede after him and applied the same vnto himselfe particularly Now in the first entrance of this exāple the holy Ghost setteth downe a wonderfull thing of Moses namely that Moses had faith and by it did this great worke This I say is strange because he was brought vp by Pharaohs daughter in the Court of Pharaoh where was no knowledge of the true God and indeede nothing but idolatry wantonnesse and profanenesse And yet heere it is testified of him by the spirit of GOD which cannot lie that hee had faith which is a wonderfull thing And the like is recorded of others in the word of God As in Ahabs Court who was a King that had sold himselfe to worke wickednesse yet the spirit of God testifieth that euen there was good Obadiah a man that feared God greatly And Herod was a most deadly enemie to Christ and yet Ioanna the wife of Chuza Herods friend ministred of her goods vnto Christ. And Paul saith The Saints which are of Caesars houshold salute you Where by Caesars house is meant the Court of Nero who was a most bloudy man and a wicked persecuter and yet in his house were the professors of Christs Gospell By these examples we learne that Christ hath his children and seruants in the middle among his enemies for these 3. Courts of Pharaoh Herod and Nero may be called a kinde of hell yet there were some of Gods seruants in them all Which sheweth vs clearely the truth of Gods word which saith of Christ that he raigneth in the middle among his enemies Howsoeuer they rage and seeke to blot out his name and to roote out his kingdom yet maugre their throats he will rule in the middle of their kingdoms there haue those which truly serue him feare his name Reuel 2.13 God had his Church in Pergamus where Satans throne was Againe this faith of Moses serues to checke many a man in this age that is brought vp in the Church of God and vnder godly Parents gouernours and yet is a hater and mocker of the religion of Christ. Surely Moses in the day of iudgement shall stand vp against all such and condemne them For he had faith though he were brought vp in a most profane place and they are voide of faith nay enemies vnto it though they liue in the bosome of the Church But let vs come to the strange fact which Moses did for which his faith is so commended The Text saith of him first of all That when he was come to age he refused to be called the sonne of Pharaohs daughter How Moses became her sonne we may reade at large Exod. 2 where it is said that she hauing found Moses in the basket preserued him aliue and brought him vp as her own childe purposing to make him her owne sonne heire But this honour of hers he would not accept this hee refused by faith and this is that notable and famous act for which his faith is here cōmended vnto vs. But some will say This fact of Moses may seeme rather worthy of blame then praise as being a practice of great rudenesse and ingratitude for shee preserued his life from death and brought him vp as her owne childe and vouchsafed him this speciall fauour to make him her heire and therefore Moses should not thus haue contemned her fauour Answer Indeede it had beene Moses part to haue shewed himselfe thankfull in accepting this fauour at her hands and also in enioying the same if hee might haue done it with the feare of God and keeping a good conscience But that he could not doe for if he had dwelled still with her and beene her sonne and heire hee should haue beene vndutifull vnto GOD. Now this is a rule to bee remembred and practiced alwayes that in duties of like nature 〈◊〉 the Commaundements of the second table doe binde vs no further then our obedience thereto may stand with obedience vnto the commaundements of the first table and when these two cannot stand together then we are freed from obedience vnto the second table as from performing honour and thankfulnesse vnto men when wee cannot therewithall performe obedience and seruice vnto God And this was Moses case because hee could not both serue God and continue his thankfulnesse to Pharaohs daughter for in staying with her hee should haue made shipwracke of true religion therefore hee forsaketh her fauour and honour and for this cause is heere commended vnto vs. The like did our Sauiour Christ for when the people would haue made him King he refused it and fled from among them Iohn 6.15 because it would not stand with that calling for which he was sanctified and sent into the world therefore Moses fact was commendable and doth greatly set forth vnto vs his holy faith In this fact of Moses thus generally considered obserue a notable fruite of true faith It makes a man to esteeme more of the state of adoption to be the childe of God then to be the childe or heire of any earthly Prince This is plaine in Moses in this place And the like we may see in Dauid for though he were a King yet he set all his royalty and maiestie at nought in regard of Gods blessing of adoption therefore saith The Lord not the Kingdom of Israel is my portion And again when he was kept from the Lords tabernacle the company of Gods Saints through persecution he saith The Sparrowes and Swallowes were more happy then he Psalm 84 because they had nests where they might keepe their young and sit and sing but hee could not come neere the Lords Altar And yet more fully to expresse the earnestnesse of his affection this way he saith he had rather be a man of a base office euen a dore-keeper in the house of GOD then a man of renowne in the tents of wickednesse But howsoeuer these men were of one minde herein yet come to our age and seeke in Towne Country and people and we shall see this fruite of faith is rare to be found for generally though I will not say all the most of those that are borne of good parentage as the sonnes of Knights or Squires and especially of Nobles are so bewitched with the pride of their earthly Parentage that they haue scarce a thought after adoption in Christ. Gods heauenly graces will take no place in their hearts
is the right time for a man to shew his faith when there is in himselfe no cause of beleeuing Obiect But when a man is in this case he cannot beleeue Answ. Indeede to beleeue then is a wonderfull hard thing and a miracle of miracles But yet this is the propertie of true faith so to doe and if there bee but one dramme of true faith in the heart that despaires howsoeuer it may for a time lie hidde as dead yet at the length it will make him to hope and waite for mercy and life at the hands of Almightie GOD. And therefore if it shall please GOD at any time to lay a torment vpon our consciences so as wee shall striue with the wrath of GOD thinking that hee hath cast vs away yet for all that then we must beleeue GODs promises and set before vs his mercies and therewith refresh vs. And if this faith were not the childe of GOD many sundry times were in a most miserable case the Lord therefore hath most mercifully prouided to helpe him by the grace of faith When a man is past all hope of life he must then beleeue and hope for life as the Israelites did in the red sea for preseruation And vndoubtedly this is a comfortable signe of grace if a man in the horrour of conscience can shewe forth the least sparke of true faith Fourthly note the effect and issue of this faith They passed through the red sea We say vsually that water fire be vnmercifull creatures and therefore the naturall man feares them both but the Israelites faith makes them not to feare the water but it makes them bold euen to passe thorough the sea The like we may see for fire in the 3. children Dan. 3.16.23 who were not affraid of the hot burning ouen but were as bold in it as out of it Rauenous wilde beasts are terrible vnto men but faith makes a man not to feare them and therefore Daniel feares not the Lyons though hee were throwen into their denne to bee deuoured Dan. 6.22 Great is the fruite and force of faith it takes from a man the feare of those creatures which by nature are most terrible And here wee see a cause why the holy Martyrs of God died most cheerefully A man would thinke it strange that one should goe into the fire reioycing as many of them did but the reason is Because they had faith in their hearts which taketh away the feare of the most fearefull creatures But if it bee so may some say that the Israelites by faith went through the redde sea not fearing the water why may not we that beleeue now doe the same for wee haue the same faith that they had Answ. Wee haue indeede the same faith and yet wee cannot passe through waters as they did For their faith rested on two promises first on this made to Abraham I will bee thy God and the God of thy seed SecoÌ„dly on a particular promise made to Moses For when he coÌ„manded him to goe through the red sea withall he made a promise to keepe and preserue them and this they beleeued and so went through Now howsoeuer we haue iustifying faith hauing the same generall promise yet we haue not the like particular promise That if wee passe through the red sea God will be with vs and saue vs. And therefore if any man shall aduenture to doe so let him looke for nothing but death for it is not an action of faith but of presumption And therefore Peter sunke when hee would needs walke vnto Christ vpon the sea hauing no such hold vpon Gods speciall promise as here they had and the Egyptians following presumptuously were drowned Wherfore let vs here be warned not to attempt to doe extraordinary workes without Gods special warrant for a particular faith requires a particular promise besides the generall promise of God in Christ. Further let vs here obserue a wonderfull worke of Gods mercy and power When these seruants of God were brought into extremitie of danger so as they were in a desperate case for their temporall life yet then the Lord findes a way of deliuerance And indeede if a man consider aright of it hee must needes acknowledge that these Israelites were in a pittifull case for they had the red sea before them and mountains on each side and themselues hindred from flight by their bag and baggage and with their children and the huge hoste of Pharaoh behinde them so as to mans reason there was nothing but present death to bee looked for yet the Lord in mercy to saue them makes a way where there was no way and opens them a gappe to life when naturall reason could lay before them nothing but violent death Which shewes the wonderfull mercy of God to his owne people and seruants And the like thing we may read of in Dauid when he abode in the wildernesâ—e of Maon for there Saul followed him and he and his men compassed Dauid and his men round about 1. Sam. 23.26 27. Now what hope of deliuerance was there for Dauid Ans. Surely this only Dauid was the seruant of God the Lord preserued him that hee might rule his people after Sauls death and therfore he escapeth though wonderfully for a messenger comes to Saul and bids him haste for the Philistims inuaded the Land and so Saul returned from pursuing Dauid and went against the Philistims Hence we learne this generall rule that in the extremitie of all danger God hath meanes to preserue and saue his owne children and people Which must teach vs to commend our case to GOD and to rest on him in all dangers for when our case is desperate in our sight then are we fittest for Gods helpe Let vs therefore in such cases learne to practice our faith and then especially to cast our selues vpon GOD. This Iehosaphat did most notably for beeing assaulted with the huge armies of the Moabites Ammonites c. he praied vnto the Lord most feruently saying 2. Chron. 20.12 Lord there is no strength in vs wee knowe not what to doe but our eies are towards thee and thus doing was preserued for God will in no extremitie forsake them that trust in him The red sea In many places of the olde testament it is called the sea of rushes Psal. 106.7 9. Or the sea of sedges Ier. 49.21 It is a corner of the Arabian sea that parteth Egypt and Arabia Those which haue seene it in trauell say it hath no other colour than all other seas haue Why then is it called the red sea Answ. To omit many supposed causes hereof ther be two especially for which it is so called 1 Because of the red sand for both the bottome of the sea and the shoare are full of redder sande than ordinarily is else-where 2 Some thinke it is called the redde sea by reason of the sedges and bul-rushes which growe much at the sea side and bee of a redde colour which by reflection may
Rahabs weake faith is thus commended here is comfort for all those that are willing to learne Gods word and to obay the same Many are willing to learne but they are so wonderfully troubled with dulnesse and want of memory that they cannot learne and hereupon they grow to doubt much of their estate towards God But these meÌ„ must coÌ„fort themselues for though they haue but little knowledge yet if they haue care to encrease in knowledge make coÌ„science of obedience to so much as they know God wil account of theÌ„ as of true beleeuers in truth such are to be coÌ„meÌ„ded aboue those which haue much knowledge so seeme to haue much faith and yet shew forth no obedience answerable to their knowledge for they haue a shew of godlines but want the power of it Thirdly this confuteth our ignorant boasters who say they haue as much knowledge as any man needs to haue for they knowe that a man must loue God aboue all that Christ Iesus is the Sauiour of the world this say they is enough and hereupon they take vp their rest for matters of religion seek to go no further But these men know nothing at all for if they would ad to this which they know though it be but little a care to encrease in knowledge with their knowledge ioin obedieÌ„ce theÌ„ it were somthing But whiles they haue no care neither to get more knowledge nor to shew forth obedience to that they knowe they do heereby shew plainly that there is no drop of sauing knowledge nor true faith in their hearts Fourthly seeing God commends the seedes of true faith for true faith indeede This must encourage all men to vse all good meanes to come by true faith and repentance For though as yet thou hast but little knowledge and therefore but little faith and repentance yet if thou ioyne hereto an endeuour to get more knowledge and haue also care to practice that which thou knowest then will the Lord encrease thy knowledge and thy small faith till thou haue sufficient and in the meane time accept of thee as a true beleeuer And thus much for the measure of Rahabs faith The second point to be considered is the reward which Rahab receiued at the hands of Ioshua and the Israelites for her faith Shee perished not with them that obeyed not that is she with her family was preserued aliue when as Iosuah destroyed all that liued in Iericho young and olde man woman and childe But some will say The Israelites were the people of God a religious people now it may seeme to be a cruell part to destroy all for what had the young Infants done Answer In mans reason it may seeme so indeede yet it could not be a cruell part because they did no more then that which God commaunded them For it was Gods ordinance that the Canaanites should be rooted out and that the Israelites should shew no compassion on them Deut. 7.3 Besides euen in reason the Israelites had some cause to deale thus for God gaue this charge to the Israelites that when they came to any Citie or people First they must offer peace and if they answered peaâ—eably then they must be saued and become their tributaries and seruants Deuteronomie 20.10 but if they would not make peace then they must put them to the edge of the sword Verse 17 man woman and childe being inhabitants of Canaan or neere adioyning And thus no doubt Ioshua dealt when he came to Iericho first he offered peace if they would become their tributaries but they trusted to their strong walls and would not yeeld to become their seruants for which cause he put them all to the edge of the sword and therefore it was no cruelty because it was Gods commaundement for Gods will is the rule of iustice But was not this partiall dealing To spare Rahab with her family who were inhabitants of Iericho as well as the rest Answer There were two causes why shee should escape First because shee yeelded her selfe to the people of Israell and ioyned her selfe vnto them and was content to become one of their religion and therefore the coÌ„maundement of putting all to death did not take holde of her Secondly Rahab obtained this of the spies and bound them to it by an oath that when they came to destroy Iericho they should spare her and her family and therefore also did she escape In this preseruation of Rahab wee may learne sundry points first whereas she is saued aliue because of the oath of the spies wee see what speciall care euery one ought to haue for the doing of those lawfull things whatsoeuer they are whereto he bindes himselfe by an oath Ioshua knowing this bond of the spies to Rahab as we may reade giues speciall charge for her preseruation Hence Dauid saith If a man binde himselfe with an oath he must keepe it though it be to his owne hinderance Psal. 15.4 Euery single promise bindes a mans conscience if it be lawfull But when an oath is adioyned then there is a double bond And therefore the Author to the Hebrewes saith that God to make knowen the stablenesse of his counsell promised bound himselfe with an oath that by two immutable things to wit Gods promise and oath we might haue strong consolation so that an oath binds a man double to the performing of his promise And that this conscience is to be made of a lawful oath appeareth thus If a man make a lawfull oath and yet bee induced to doe it by fraud he must perform it and not faile as appeareth by Iosuahs facte to the Gibeonites Iosuah 9.19 For when they came to the Iewes craftily as though they had beene men of a farre countrie and had brought them to sweare that they would not hurt them though the hoast of Israel murmured at it when they came to their cities and though they might haue reasoned thus that they got it of them by fraud and therefore they would not keepe it yet this is the answer of Iosuah and the Princes vnto the people That they had sworne vnto them by the Lord God of Israel and therefore they might not touch them And when king Saul in zeale to Israel had broken this oath of Iosuah and the Princes by destroying the Gibeonites 2. Sam. 21. there came a plague vpon the Land for three yeares space and was not staied till seauen of Sauls sonnes were hanged for Sauls fact So that the breach of an oath is a most dangerous thing and therefore he that hath bound himselfe thereby must haue great care to keep it Yet here some cases may be propounded worthy our consideration For first what if a man haue taken an oath to doe an vnlawful thing must he then keep his oath Ans. If his conscience tell him out of Gods word that the thing is not lawful then he must not keep it for an oath may not be the bond of iniquitie the
Iuda who as we may read 2. Kings 20. beeing sore sicke euen vnto death was restored to health and obtained of GOD the lengthening of his daies for the space of fifteene yeares Which wonderfull recouery hee obtained by meanes of his faith which hee shewed in time of his sicknesse by a prayer he made vnto God the substance wherof stood in these two things First beeing very sicke hee praied for the pardon of his sinnes This appeareth by his thanksgiuing vpon his recouery Isay 38.17 where hee confesseth that God had cast all his sinnes behinde his backe Now looke for what hee gaue thanks that no doubt hee had before begged of God in praier Secondly hee made request vnto GOD for prolonging of his daies for some reasons which did concerne himselfe and this hee also prayed for in faith Now the reasons moouing him to pray for longer life were these First hee had then no issue to succeed him in his Kingdome and therefore hee praied for life to beget a childe which might sit vpon his throne after him And the ground of this praier was this GOD had made a particular promise vnto Dauid and Salomon 1. Kings 8.25 that they should not want issue after them to sit vpon the Throne of Israel so that their children tooke heede to their way to walke before the LORD as Dauid did Now King Hezekiah knowing this promise had regard hereunto and building himself hereon his conscience bearing him witnesse that hee had walked before the Lord vprightly hee praies for issue to succeed him and for that cause he desires strength of body and length of daies This appeareth notably by his praier 2. King 20.3 Lord saith he I beseech thee now remember how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart The summe of his praier is this All the kings succeeding Dauid and Salomon which walke in Gods commandements shall haue issue to sit on their thrones after them Now from hence he praies thus Oh Lord I haue walked before thee in truth and sincerity of heart and hereupon the conclusion followes grant me issue to sit vpon my throne after me and therefore life and health to accomplish the same Secondly he praied that he might liue to glorifie God in that weighty calling wherein God had placed him ouer his people This appeareth likewise by his thanksgiuing vnto the Lord vpon his recouery where hee saith Isay 38.20 â—he Lord was ready to saue me therefore wee will sing my song all the daies of our life in the house of the Lord. Thus by his worthy praier hee shewed forth his faith notably by vertue whereof beeing sicke vnto death hee obtained of the Lord the prolonging of his daies for the space of fifteene yeares And so we see to whom this seauenth effect of faith is to be referred Here we are taught a speciall duty for the recouery of our health in the time of sickenesse to wit before wee vse the ordinary meanes of Physicke wee must according to this example first put our faith in practice by humbling our selues for our sinnes past confessing them truely vnto God and praying for pardon from a resolute purpose of heart to lead a newe life and also by intreating health of God and his good blessing vpon the meanes which we shall vse for our recouery Thus haue other of Gods seruants done beside Hezekias When Dauid was grieuously sicke the principal thing he did was this practice of faith in humbling his soule before God for his sinnes and intreating earnestly the pardon of them as we may see Psa. 6. 38. This is the principal thing which in those Psalms is propounded of Dauid And so the Apostle counsels Iam. 5.14 15 Is any man sicke among you let him call for the Elders of the Church and what must they doe Surely first pray for him and then as the custome was in those daies anoint him with oyle in the name of the Lord. And the praier of faith shall saue the sicke and the Lord shall raise him vp againe and if hee haue committed any sinne it shall be forgiuen him And here we must be admonished to beware of the bad practices of the world in this case the most men in their sickenesse first seeke to the Physicians and if that faile them they send for the Minister This was King Asa his practice for which hee is branded to all posteritie that beeing diseased in his feete hee sought vnto Physicians and not vnto the Lord 2. Chron. 16.12 though otherwise hee had good things in him as 1. King 15.14 And many do farre worse who seeke to witches and inchanters when they or theirs are in such distresse but this is to forsake God and to seeke help of the diuel like to Ahaziah who sent to Baalzebub the God of Ekron to know of his recouery when he was sicke vpon a fall 2. Kings 1.2 This should be far from all Gods children for as Ahaziahs sickenesse became deadly through his sending to Baalzebub so vndoubtedly many diseases become incurable by the bad and preposterous dealing of the Patient who either vseth vnlawfull meanes or lawfull meanes disorderedly or trusting therein Wee therefore in this case must remember our duty in the practice of faith as Hezekiah did The eight fruit of faith is this Waxed valiant in battell This effect may well bee vnderstood of all the Iudges before named and of all the good Kings in Iuda and Israel But yet there be two especially to whom wee may more peculiarly referre it to wit Samson and Dauid For Samson he by meanes of faith came to be so mighty Iudg. 15.15 that with the Iawe bone of an asse he slew a thousand Philistims And for Dauid he likewise was so incouraged by faith that with the same sling wherewith he kept his fathers sheepe which was but a slender weapon for warre hee encountred with Goliah that huge Philistim and hit him with a stone in the forehead and slew him Both these facts were the fruits of their faith which made them bolde to encounter with these mighty enemies In this effect of their faith first wee may obserue that true fortitude and manhood right valour and courage comes from true faith It must bee graunted that many heathen men had great strength and courage but indeed it was but a shadow of true valour for right valour coms from a beleeuing heart And therefore it is said that these Iudges and Princes of Israel waxed strong in battell by faith Secondly Doth true faith make men valiant in battell Then should the preaching of the word bee set vp and maintained as well in the Campe and Guarison and among Souldiers on the Seas as in Cities and Townes of peace For the preaching of the word is the meanes of this faith which giues valour in battell to them that fight in a good cause Hence it was that the Lord inioyned by Moses that when the people of Israel went out to battell the Priests
corporall presence it is sufficient if wee haue true faith for that makes him present much more comfortably then it might be his bodily presence would be vnto vs. If any man aske how this can be I answer The faith of the receiuer knoweth best and yet reason can say something in this case for suppose a man looke earnestly vpon a starre there are many thousand of miles betwixt his eye the star yet the starre and his eye are so vnited together as that the starre is after a sort present to his eye So if we regard locall distance we are as farre from Christ as earth is from heauen but if we regard the nature of Faith which is to reach it selfe to Christ where euer he be in that regard Christ is present and why should not this be so for if the bodily eye so feeble and weake can reach so farre as to a starre and ioyne it to it selfe and so make it present why should not much more the piercing eye of the soule reach vp to Christ make him present to the comfortable feeling of it selfe Thirdly here wee learne how to behaue our selues in a strange temptation whereby God vseth to exercise his children The Lord after that he hath receiued his children into his fauour coÌ„tinueth not alwaies to manifest that fauour vnto them but often times puls back the feeling of it for a time that afterward hee may shew it againe in more comfortable manner vnto them and that they may afterward more sensibly feele it and more earnestly loue it and more carefully labour to keepe it when they haue it Now for the time of this eclipse of the fauour of God he not onely darkeneth his loue but makes them feele also such a measure of his wrath as that they will often thinke themselues castawayes from the fauour of God Dauid and Ioâ— were often exercised with this temptation as appeareth by their most lamentable bitter coÌ„plaints yea Dauid doubts not Psal. 77.9 to chalenge the Lord that he hath forgotten to be gratious and hath shut vp his louing kindnesse in displeasure And Iob chap. 13.26 complaines to the Lord that He writeth bitter things against him and makes him to possesse the sinnes of his youth words as it may seem of men forsaken of God and indeed so for that time they thought of themselues If it please the Lord thus to deale with vs so as we feele nothing else but his wrath wrastling with our consciences neither can think otherwise by present feeling but that God hath forsaken vs what should we do in this pitifull case should we despaire as reason would bid vs no but take this course Call to mind Gods mercifull promises and his ancient former loue and cast thy selfe vpoÌ„ that loue though thou canst not feele it When thou hast most cause to despaire then labour against it When thou hast no reason to beleeue then beleeue with all thy power For remeÌ„ber the power prerogatiue of thy faith It beleeues not things that are manifestly appeare so much as such things that are not haue no being So then when Gods fauour seemes to be lost and to haue no being to thee then is Gods fauour a fit obiect for thy faith which beleeues those things that are not Let al the diuels in hell set themselues against thy poore soule and if thou holdest fast this faith they cannot all make thee sinke vnder it for when the diuel saith Thou hast lost Gods fauour by faith a man answereth though Gods fauour be lost vnto my feeling yet to my faith it is not My faith giues it a being so long say what thou wilt I will neuer feare that it is lost When God puls back his fauour and fights against thee with his wrath do as Iacob did Gen. 32.27.29 Wrestle with God though thou haue but one legge that is though thou haue but one little sparke of faith fight with that little faith lay hold by it on God and let him not go vntill he hath blessed thee in turning again vnto thee his fauorable countenance and say with Iob 13. euen in the very heate of thy temptation O Lord though thou kil this body and flesh of mine yet will I trust in thee for euerlasting life yea though Gods anger should seeme to encrease yet for all that take faster hold and faint not for faith will neuer faile thee it will restore Gods loue when it seemes lost it wil set it before thine eyes when it seemes to be hid For marke well but this one reason if faith will giue life euerlasting a being and make it present to thy soule which indeede yet neuer had being to thee how much more can it giue a being to Gods fauour and make it present to thy soule which once had indeed hath still a being and was neuer lost indeede but onely to a mans feeling Thus true faith is able to answer this temptaation whether it come in life or in the pangs of death Fourthly whereas faith is call'd an euidence hence wee learne that the nature of faith stands not in doubting but in certainty assurance The Romish doubting of the essence of faith is as contrary to true faith as darknesse to light for faith is an euidence of things hoped for that is it coÌ„uinceth the iudgemeÌ„t by vnfallible arguments knowing as certainly the truth of the promises of the things hoped for as that God is God But Rome wil needs ioin faith doubting which in deed fight like fire and water and can neuer agree together in euery respect but one wil in the end destroy the other Obiection But it seemeth doubting is a part or at least a companion of faith for we doubt as wel as beleeue who is so faithful that doubteth not Answer We do so but what then we should not for God coÌ„mands vs to beleeue not to doubt therefore to beleeue because it is commanded of God is a vertue and if it be a vertue then to doubt is a vice faith doubting are both in a good man but faith is a work of grace and of the spirit Doubting is a work of the flesh a piece of the corruption of the old man Fiftly if faith be a substance of things hoped for much more is it a substance to the beleeuer if it giue those things a being which aâ—e out of him much more doth it giue a permanent being vnto the beleeuer himselfe strengthning him to stand continue in al assaults So Heb. 3.14 Faith is that whereby a beleeuer is sustained vpholden so that indeed we may fitly say Faith is the spiritual substance and the spiritual strength of a Christian man and according to the measure of his faith such is the measure of his spirituall strength This coÌ„sideration hath diuers comfortable vses but especially two 1. When any of vs are out of the reach of a temptation so long are we confident of our
be afarre off this is the worke of true faith This was in Noah wrought in him a reuerence and so would it in vs if it were in vs. When men crie fire fire wee stirre wee runne wee tremble but God crieth in his word the fire of hell the fire of his wrath and wee care not wee stirre not wee leaue not our sinnes wee are not moued with reuerence as Noah was therefore it is more then manifest that holy faith is wanting in the world which Noah had The second motiue stirring vp this reuerence in him was the consideration of Gods wonderfull mercie to him and his family in sauing them This mercy seemed so wonderfull to him both for that hee knewe it was vndeserued knowing himselfe a sinnefull man and therfore not able to merit Gods fauour and being priuy to himselfe of his owne manifolde imperfections and also vnexpected for he neuer thought to haue been spared alone in an vniuersall destruction therefore he wondred with reuerence at so great a mercy Thus Gods mercies doe not onely winne a mans heart to loue God but euen to feare him with much reuerence this Dauid proueth Psalm 130.4 There is mercy with thee O Lord that thou maist be feared as though he had said thy great mercies to thy children O Lord do make them conceiue a reuerent estimation of thee This made Dauid cry out in a holy passion How excellent are thy mercies O Lord Psal. And as Gods childreÌ„ wonder at the excellencies of Gods mercies vnto them so also at their owne basenesse and vnworthinesse Thus doth holy Dauid 2. Sam. 7.18 who as hee was a man of much faith so was he full of excellent meditations and reuerent speeches of God which are the true effects of faith when God had set him in his kingdome hee saith Who am I O Lord and what is my house that thou hast brought me hither And 1. Chron. 29.14 But who am I saith he and what is my people that wee should offer thus vnto the Lord And doubtlesse euen so said Noahs blessed soule often vnto the Lord and to it selfe Who am I O Lord and what is my family that we should be chosen out of so many thousands and be saued when all the world perisheth Let vs apply this to our Church and State If any Nation haue cause to say thus it is England God hath deliuered vs out of the thraldome of spirituall Egypt and led vs out not by a Moses but first by a childe then by a woman and giuen vs his Gospell more fully and freely and quietly then any kingdom so great in the world and still deliuereth vs from the cursed plots of the Pope and tyrannous inuasions of the Spaniard who thought to haue marked vs in the foreheads with the brand of infamie and to haue done to vs as they haue done to other nations whom they haue conquered but God from heauen fought for vs and ouerthrew them in their owne deuises yea the Lord put his hooke in his nosethrils and his bridle in his lips and caried him backe againe with shame and reproach Wee are vnworthy of such a mercy if our soules doe not often say vnto God O Lord what are we and what is our people that thou shouldst be so wonderfull in thy mercies vnto vs And particularly this must teach euery Christian to be a carefull obseruer of the fauours mercies that God vouchsafes to his soule or body to him or his and the consideration of them must make him daily be moued with reuerence and reuerent thoughts of Gods Maiestie still as the Lord is more and more mercifull vnto him to beare still the more feare and reuerence vnto him for the same The last motiue of this Reuerence in Noah was the consideration of Gods power and wisedome both in the Iudgement vpon the world and in the mercy vpon him for first in the Iudgement it was wonderfull that God would chuse so weake an element as water to destroy vanquish the huge Giants of those dayes but therein appeared first Gods power that by so weake meanes can cast downe his enemies And againe his wisedome that as an vniuersall wickednesse had polluted the whole world so a floud of water should wash the whole world Secondly the mercy was also wonderful that God should chuse to saue Noah by so strange a meane as an Arke which should swim on the waters For Noah thought if the Lord will saue me he will either take me vp into heauen as hee did Henoch a little before or else make me build a house vpon the top of the highest mountaine But the Lord will saue him by no such meanes but by an Arke wherein appeared first Gods power that would saue him by so weake a meanes as might seeme rather to destroy him For Noah must lye and swim in the midst of the waters and yet be saued from the waters and the Arke mâ—st saue him which in all reason if the Tempests had cast it against the hard rockes and mountaines or vpon the strong Castles and houses of the mightie Giants would haue beene broken in pieces and so it had but that God himselfe was the Maister and Pilot in that voyage And secondly Gods wisedom shone cleerly in this means because God would haue him saued not in such sort as the world might not see it as it would haue beene if hee had beene taken vp into heauen or into the aire but would haue him saued in an Arke that so alâ— the wicked men as they â—ere a dying in the water or expecting death vpon the tops of the hills might see him liue and be saued to their more torment and to their greater shame who would not beleeue Gods word as he did For as the wicked in hell are more tormented to see the godly in the ioyes of heauen so doubtlesse were the wicked of that age to see Noah saued before their eies The view of this power wisdom of God herein made Noah giue great reuerence to Gods Maiestie And no lesâ—e ought it to worke in the hearts of all true hearâ—ed English men and faithfull Christians For did not the Lord restore establish the Gospell to our nation by a child and by a woman and in her time when all other Princes were against her coÌ„trary to the rules of policy and did not God in our late deliuerance ouerthrow our enemies not so much by the power of man as by his owne hand Did not he fight from heauen Did not the starres and the winds in their courses sight against that Sisera of Spaine Let vs therefore with blessed Noah staÌ„d amazed to see Gods mercies with reuerence feare magnifie his great and glorious name And thus we haue the three motiues that moued in Noah this Reuerence of God the consideration first of his great Iudgement on the sinfull world 2. Of his great mercy in sauing him 3. Of his admirable power and wisedome shewed both
not onely beleeues and obayeth but as God promised so he went to it and tooke possession and died in this faith that God would performe his promise and that his posteritie should inherite it all as afterward indeede they did euen from Moses to Christ. If it be asked how this could be the answere is that Abraham knew that God was King of Kings and had the world and Kingdomes of the world in his hand and disposition and therfore assured himselfe that hee could bring to passe what hee had promised and make good his word notwithstanding all such impediments to the contrarie And as hee beleeued it came to passe his posterity came to it entred as conquerers vpon this gift of God and by the power of God so amazed all these Kings and their people as some submitted as the Gibeonits and they that did not were all slaine and their Countries conquered as we may reade at large in the booke of Ioshua all the Stories whereof are briefly comprehended by Dauid in fewe words where he saith We haue heard with our eares our Fathers haue tolde vs how thou O Lord droue out the heathen with thy hand and planted them in how thou destroyed the people and made them grow Psal. 44.1.2 Out of which we learne two instructions First that the change of States and alteration of Kingdomes or common-wealths are in Gods hand and that he can turne them one way or other as it pleaseth him To this purpose saith Dauid in the fore-named Psalme verse the fourth They inherited not the land by their owne sword neither did their owne arme saue them but thy right hand and thy arme and the light of thy countenance because thou didst fauour them This must teach vs to pray earnestly in our daily prayers for the good estate of this Kingdome wherein we liue and of that worthy Prince and Queene vnder whose gouernment wee haue beene so long and so liberally blessed For the welfare and prosperity the certainty and security of it and her is not in our policie might munition ships not in the strength of our nauie nor in the power of our armour nor in the chiualrie of our people nor in the wisedome of our Councell though for all these we are a people honoured of our friends and feared of our enemies But in the mighty hand of our God who as Daniel saith beareth rule ouer the Kingdomes of the earth and giueth them to whomsoeuer he will Dan. 4.22 Seeing therefore the King of heauen in the giuer and establisher the remouer and changer of Kingdomes of the earth let vs assure our selues that the prayers of Elisha are the Horses and Chariots of Israell 2. Kinges 13.14 And surely if Elisha for his prayer was acknowledged by the King himself to be his Father then doubtlesse the godly Ministers and such other in our Church as pray daily for the peace of our Ierusalem are worthy to be accounted good children of our Church and worthy members of our State Secondly here we learne what is the ruine of Kingdomes and ouerthrow of estates namely sinne and vngodlinesse This is most apparant in the present example For why did God take this land from the Cananites and giue it to Abraham and his seede the Stories of the olde Testament answere nothing but sinne In Deuteronomie Moses chargeth the Israelites that they doe not after the abhominations of the heathen Cananites For saith he because of their abhominable sinnes God did cast them out before you Deut. 18.9.12 And why did not God instantly giue it to Abraham to inherite after the promise euen because the wickednesse of these Amorites was not then full Gen. 15.16 that is their sinnes were not then ripe For we must know that though God be the absolute and soueraigne Lord of all Kingdomes and may dispose them as hee will yet he rather exerciseth his Iustice then his power and neuer ouerturneth any State but vpon cause of their apparant sinfulnesse Nor can the Amorites or Cananites pleade herein any hard measure For the same God dealt afterward in the same Iustice with his owne people giuing the Kingdome of Iudah to the Chaldeans and Israel to the Assyrians and the cause is laid downe most memorably in the Storie When the Israelites sinned against the Lord their God and walked after the fashions of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before them and did secretly things that were wicked and made Images and serued Idols and though God warned them by his Prophets yet would they not obay but hardned their neckes and so finally left all the commandements of God then the Lord was exceeding wroth with Israel and cast them also out of his sight 2. Kings 17. from the seauenth verse to the 19. Thus sinne is able to ouerturne Kingdomes be they Cananites Israelites or whosoeuer Let this teach vs all to looke to our liues make conscience of all sin especially great capitall crying sins for the sinnes of a people are wormes and Cankers eating out the life and strength of a coÌ„mon-wealth And let our State and gouernment learne here to look to the reformation of our people especially for great sinnes For open profanenesse or vncleanenesse or oppressions or iniustice or extortions or cruelties and exactions all these or any of these sinnes raigning in a State are able to ouerturne the best established Kingdome on the earth and will at last doe power and policie what they can make the land spewe out her inhabitants and in the meane time let the wily wits of men iudge as they list it will proue true that the sinfull and profane man is the worst and the godly and conscionable man the best friend to a State and best subiect in a Kingdome Thus much for the second point in Abrahams obedience namely the end of it The third and last point is the manner of his obedience which followeth in these words And he went out not knowing whither he went The manner of this his leauing his Country in mans reason would seeme strange nay the world will condemne it for plaine foolishnesse for a man to leaue a certainty for an vncertainty But it may here be doubted how the Apostle can here say that he knew not whither he went seeing these words are not in the Storie of the olde Testament doth not that practice allow traditions beside Scripture I answer first We refuse no traditions which are agreeable to the Scripture and analogie of faith but such as are agreeable to one of these wee receiue them though not as Scripture Secondly if the Apostles in the new Testament doe adde any thing in any Story which is not in the olde as S. Paul doth the manner of the Sorcerers of Egypt Iannes and Iamâ—res 2. Timoth. 3.8 that circumstance by them so added is to be holden as Scripture and no tradition because they hauing the same spirit of God which the Writers of the olde Testament had haue inserted it
liue by faith in all our actions from one day to another meditating daily on Gods promises and beleeuing them and relying on them and applying the generalls to our owne selues and practicing faith by making conscience of sinne and inuring our selues to patience and long suffering Thus doing we shall be children of faithfull Abraham who first by faith left his owne Country and then by faith also dwelt still in the Land of Canaan And thus much for the action of his faith Hee abode in the Land of Promise Now followe the circumstances of the action which are two 1. The manner how 2. The Persons with whō The manner is laid downe in two points 1. As a stranger 2. As one that dwelt in tents The first point for the manner is laide downe in these words As in a strange Country The meaning is he esteemed it a strange Country to him and accounted himself a stranger in it Against which it may be obiected that he was familiarly acquainted with Mamre Aner and Eshcol three great mighty men of that Country then he they were confederates together Gen. 14.13 therfore it seemes he liued not like a stranger in the Country Some answere that these three were not Cananites but neere a-kinne to Abraham and had other names but the Text is plaine in that place that Mamre was an Amorite and the other two were his brethren Therefore the answere is that in all likelyhood they three were Proselites and that by Abrahams godly perswasions they had renounced Idolatry and were come to the knowledge of the true God and that they ioyned with Abraham in the worship of the true God and so were his conuerts whereupon Abraham as he might lawfully conuersed with them as his familiar friends And hereof there are two Inducements First it is said Gen. 14.13 that they were confederates with Abraham and it appeared so by their deedes for they ioyned their powers and assisted him in the warre against the the Kings Gen. 14.24 Secondly it is said Gen. 14.13 That Abraham dwelt on the Land of Mamre he was his Tenant or Farmour Now it is more then likely Abraham would not haue so farre beene beholden to them but that they were true Christians and of his owne religion Therefore this hinders not but hee might be a stranger notwithstanding vnto the body of the people and that it is true that Abraham saith of himself vnto some of them Gen. 23.4 I am a stranger and Soiourner amongst you But it may be then demanded Why did Abraham liue amongst them as a stranger and in that Land as a Soiourner I answer the reasons were diuers First he had title giuen to that Land but no possession he therefore contented himselfe with that that God gaue him and chalenged not any possession all the dayes of his life but bought or borrowed of Mamre the place where he liued and dwelt Gen. 14.13 and of the Hittites a place of buriall Gen. 23.3 c. This may teach all men not to be too hasty in seeking for that that it may be is their right let not men prescribe their owne times nor be their owne caruers but leaue their affaires to Gods disposing and enter no further then they see God goeth afore them Abraham must be a stranger in his owne land and thou sometime must be content for a time to be a stranger to that which is thine owne Secondly they were all of them for the most part heathen Idolaters amongst whom Abraham would not conuerse but as sparingly as might be Now if Abraham would be a stranger in his own Country rather then liue familiarly with Idolaters It sheweth how little faith and lesse conscience they haue who can be content to liue in the midst amongst Idolaters where they haue nothing to doe and can conuerse with them in all familiarity without any scruple of conscience Abraham made himselfe a stranger at home to auoide Idolatry but they will make themselues at home in a strange Country to intangle themselues in Idolatry these men will hardly proue the children of Abraham These reasons Abraham himselfe had in this his so doing There is a third a more spirituall or mysticall reason and that reason God had in making Abraham liue in Canaan as a stranger Namely to teach all Christian men their duty to the worlds end Abraham is the Father of the faithfull Rom. 4.11 And this is our honour to be the children of Abraham we must therfore follow our Father in his faith and in the practice of it we must liue in this world as Pilgrimes and Strangers euen in the midst of all our peace prosperity of all our liberty riches lands and possessions yea of all our friends worldly acquaintance If it seeme strange how this can be I answere the practice of it consists in six actions First we must not bathe our selues in the pleasures of this world Pilgrimes take but little delight in their iourneyes because they thinke themselues not at home This is S. Peters argument Dearely beloued as strangers and pilgrimes abstaine from fleshly lusts which fight against the soule 1. Pet. 2.11 For too much delight in fleshly pleasures smothers the grace of God in vs and le ts loose all sinnes and giues life vnto all corruptions Secondly we must vse this world as though we vsed it not that is euen the necessary comforts delights thereof they be the very words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 7.31 For so the Pilgrime when he passeth through a strange Country hath not his minde troubled with looking or thinking on the goods or cōmodities of that Country where he is but vsing as much thereof as is necessary for him all his thoughts are on his owne Country So should we when we are in our best estates in our greatest iollity in the midst of our wealth and abundance of pleasures cast our mindes from them haue our thoughts euen then conuersing in heauen where is the place of our abode This is likewise the Apostles exhortation Philipp 3.20 Worldly men make their belly their God that is drowne themselues in carnall pleasures so farre as they forget any other God any other heauen But we must not doe so our conuersation must be in heauen from whence wee looke for our Sauiour Iesus Christ. Thirdly wee must haue a serious care and endeuour to please God for all the earth is his and wee are but soiourners in his sight therfore as the Pilgrime is carefull to please the Lord of the Country by whose leaue he trauels through it so must we be to please the Lord seeing as God saith Leuit 25.23 The land is his and we are but strangers and soiourners with him And hereunto adde a fourth which is neere a-kinne vnto it We must cast all our care on God seeing that he is Lord of the earth we are but Pilgrimes and Soiourners Dauid saith Psal. 24.1 The earth is the Lords and all that therein is
God 1. Sam. 2.31 therefore the Lord threateneth the destruction both of him and his familie and according as the Lord had threatened so it came to passe For when the Israelites fought with the Philistims Chap. 4.11 his two sonnes were slaine and hear the hearing of the newes fell downe and brake his necke Now if this be so what shall we say of our owne nation and people amongst whom it is as cōmon to dishonour God as euer it was amongst the Papists or Pagans partly by light vsing of his holy titles and taking his name in vaine and partly by swearing and open blasphemie and sometime euen by abhominable periurie Nay it is many mens rule that they may sweare dissemble lie forsweare for aduantage These sinnes are some of them rise in all sorts of people and hardly shall you talke with a man that doth not by vaine othes dishonor God yea it is so common that children so soone as they can crawle or lispe out a word the first thing they can speake is to curse or sweare and take Gods name in vaine whereby God is dishonoured euery way so as it is a wonder that the earth doth not open swallow vp many men quicke for their swearing and blasphemy And wheras Gods Iudgements are often grieuously inflicted vpon vs in many places of the Land we may perswade our selues that among other sinnes it is for our blasphemie and taking Gods name in vaine And if it be not speedily redressed it is to be feared lest God will raine downe his iudgements vpon vs and in his wrath sweepe vs all away and take away the father with the childe the good with the bad because there is no reformation of so vile and yet so needlesse a sinne To be called their God Obserue here further that Abraham Isaac and Iaacob could all of them say God is my God Now that which these worthy Patriarchs could say of themselues we must euery one of vs in our own persons labour for for their exāple is must be a rule for vs to follow We therfore must labour for this assurāce by Gods grace to say as these holy Patriarchs did say The true Iehoua is my God and of this I am resolued vndoubtedly assured in mine own cōscience Qu. How shal we be able to say vnfainedly God is my God Ans. By becomming his seruants and people in deed truth for to him who is one of Gods people God is alwaies his God But how shall wee become Gods true seruants Answ. By setting our hearts vpon the true God and giuing them wholly vnto him and to his seruice and restraining our selues from all occasions of sinne because sinne displeaseth him Quest. But how shall a man set his heart wholly on God Answ. This hee doth when he loueth him aboue all and feareth him aboue all and aboue all things is zealous for GOD glorie when hee hath full confidence in Gods word and promises and is more grieued for displeasing God than for all things in the world besides Or more plainly thus then a man doth set his heart on God when his heart is so affected that when God commands he is alwaies ready to obey So the Lord saith Hos. 2.23 I will say to them that were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God And in the Psalmes the Lord saith Psalm 27.8 Seeke ye my face Then the holy mans heart as an Eccho giueth answer I seeke thy face O God And such a one is the heart of him that is indeede the seruant and childe of God one of Gods people For he hath prepared for them a city These words are a reason of the former proouing that God was not ashamed to be called their God because hee prepared a citie for them And indeede this shewes euidently that God was greatly delighted with them rather than ashamed of them for had he beene ashamed of them hee would haue shut them out of his presence Herein therefore he declared his loue and fauour that by preparing this citie he procured that they should liue in his sight for euermore Hence wee learne that hee which hath God for his God hath all things with him according to the common prouerb Haue God haue all And on the contrary Lacke God and lacke all And therfore Dauid saith Psal. 145.15 Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Other things which here might be added haue bin handled before Abrahams Faith Verse 17. By faith Abraham offered vp Isaac when hee was tempted and hee that had receiued the promises offered his onely begotten sonne 18. To whom it was said in Isaac shall thy seede be called 19. For he considered that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead from whence he receiued him also after a sort IN the former verses wee heard the faith of Abraham Isaac and Iaacob commended iointly together Now the holy Ghost returneth to the cōmendation of their faith seuerally And first he beginnes with Abrahams faith wherof he had formerly propounded two works or actions 1 His going out of his own Countrey 2 His abode in a strange Land Now here followeth the third which is the most notable worke of all wherin his faith shines most gloriously and his example herein is vnmatchable The particular points herein are these 1 The worke of his faith is plainely laid down in his offering vp of Isaac 2 The same worke of faith is notably commended by three speciall arguments to wit 1 by three great impediments that might haue hindred this worke of faith as we shall see in their place v. 17 18. 2 by his victory ouer these impediments v. 19. 3 by the issue of this temptation and his worke of faith therein in the end of the 19. verse For the first The fact of Abrahams faith here commēded is this That he offered vp Isaac his sonne It may first of all be demanded How Abraham could offer vp his son by faith considering it is against the law of nature the law of God for a man to kill his own sonne which Abraham must doe if he did offer him vp in sacrifice vnto God For answer hereunto we need goe no further than the Story Gen. 22. where we may see hee had a ground for his faith for though the generall commandement be Thou shalt not kill yet he had a speciall commandement Abraham kill thy sonne by vertue of that he did it did it in by faith But if that be so then therupon riseth another a greater doubt namely How can these 2. commandements stand together one being contrary to the other Ans. Here a special point is to be obserued namely that whensoeuer two cōmandements are so ioyned that a man cannot practice both but doing the one the other is broken then one of thē must giue place to the other For howsoeuer all Gods commandements binde the conscience yet some binde it more
their hearts and cleanse the corruptions thereof and bring forth obedience in life Secondly this power of true faith in mans heart must teach vs not to content our selues with a generall faith and knowledge in religion but to goe further and to get a sound faith that may purifie the heart at least in some true measure for sauing faith will cleanse a man in euery part of soule and body strengthen his soule in temptation Quest. Here it may be asked how it can be truly saide that Isaac was Abrahams onely begotten sonne seeing Ismaell was also his sonne and was borne before Isaac as is euident Gen. 16 I answere two wayes first that Ismaell by Gods appointment was put out of Abrahams house for it was the expresse commaundement of God to put forth the bond-woman and her sonne Gen. 21.10 and so was made no childe of Abraham Secondly Ismaell was his childe indeede yet not by Sarah but by Agar a bond woman and so was as I may say base borne whereupon he is reputed for no sonne but Isaac is the onely begotten lawfully which may be an Item to beware of the bed defiled seeing such off-spring is so debased with the Lord. Now followeth the third impediment of Abrahams faith which is also a notable circumstance whereby the same faith is commended and it is taken from the person of Abraham in these wordes who had receiued the promises The meaning of the words WHO This must be referred to the person of Abraham of whom the holy Ghost here speaketh Receiued the promises That is by faith for when God made his promises vnto Abraham he did not onely heare them but which is the principall point of all hee beleeued them and applied the same effectually vnto his owne soule so much doth the word receiued import Now it is saide that hee receiued not one promise but the Promises plurally for these causes first because God hauing made one maine promise vnto him touching Christ did repeate and renue the same diuers times Secondly because GOD had made diuers particular promises vnto him as first that he would be his God and the God of his seed Gen. 17.7 Secondly that he would giue him a childe in his olde age Gen. 17.16 Thirdly that vnto him and his seed he would giue the Land of Canaan for euer Gen. 13.15 Fourthly that in Isaac he would blesse all the Nations of the earth Genesis 21.12 And because the receiuing of Gods promises in generall could seeme no great impediment to Abrahams worke of faith therefore the holy Ghost annexeth his receiuing of a particular promise in Isaac in the 18. verse To whom it was said in Isaac shall thy seede be called Which might seeme impossible to stand with the doing of this worke in sacrificing his sonne and therefore the consideration of it in Abraham must needes bee a great impediment to him in this worke for he goes about to kill Isaac in obedience to Gods commaund in whose life he beleeued to receiue the blessings promised of God Here then obserue a most wonderfull impediment to Abrahams faith which aboue all might haue hindred him from obeying God for how could hee choose but reason thus with himselfe God hath made vnto me many gracious promises and that which is more he hath saide That in my sonne Isaac the same must he accomplished and in him all the nations of the earth must be blessed Now then if I shall kill and sacrifice my sonne how shall these promises bee accomplished And reason in this case would say I see no way but that the promise is gone and all hope lost But what doth Abraham in this case for all this hee doth sacrifice his sonne and that by faith still beleeuing and holding assuredly that though Isaac were sacrificed and slain yet in him should all the nations of the earth be blessed Here then we note this speciall point wherein the faith of Abraham doth notably appeare That when Abrahams case in respect of enioying the promise of GOD might seeme desperate and void of all hope and comfort then he beleeueth for when Isaac was dead in all reason he could haue no hope of the accomplishing of Gods promises vnto him because they were made to him in Isaac Isaac was the man in whom all the nations of the earth should be blessed and yet when all hope is past in mans reason then good Abraham set his heart to beleeue This practice of Abraham must be a patterne for vs to obserue and followe all our liues long in the matter of our saluation if it fall out that wee shall doubt of our saluation and feele many thinges in vs that would carie vs to despaire when wee are in this case and feele no comfort then let vs call to minde Abrahams practice who beleeues Gods promise when the foundation thereof is taken away euen so let vs doe at the same instant when the promise of GOD seemes to be frustrate and wee haue no hope of the accomplishment thereof then wee must cast our soules vpon it For we must not onely beleeue when wee feele comfort in our consciences concerning GODS mercies but euen then when God seemes to stande against vs and when wee feele in our soules the very gall of hell then I say wee must beleeue In Paules daungerous voyage towards Rome when hee was in the shippe with the Mariners and Centurion there arose a great tempest and neither sunne nor starres appeared for many dayes so that as the Text saith All hope that they should bee saued was taken away Actes 27.20 Now what saith Paul in this extremitie of danger Now I exhort you to bee of good courage for there shall bee no losse of any mans life saue of the Shippe onely Verse 22. and so perswaded them to take bread Euen so when our case falles out to be this that either by reason of sinne and of the temptation of Satan or else by reason of some outward calamities and troubles wee feele our soule as it were ouerwhelmed with sorrow and euen entring into destruction and can neither see as it were light of sunne or starre then wee must set before vs Gods promises and labour to beleeue the same So Dauid beeing in great affliction and grieuous temptation saith thus of himselfe Psal. 77.2 7 8 9 10 In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord my sore ranne and ceased not in the night my soule refused comfort Yet at the very same instant hee prayed When his spirit was full of anguish and though hee seemed as it were to despaire when hee said Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will he shew no more fauour Is his mercy cleane gone Doth his promise faile for euermore And hath God forgotten to be mercifull c. Yet he checkes himselfe and saith This is my death and my weakenesse Euen so euery true member of Gods Church in the extremitie of all temptations and in the time of desperation is bound
yet neuer was saued vnlesse therewithall wee haue the couenant of grace belonging vnto vs and the assurance thereof sealed in our consciences by Gods holy spirit Againe consider who spake these words But in Isaac shall thy seed be called Wee shall finde in Genesis 21.12 it was God himselfe Let it not saith God vnto Abraham be grieuous in thy sight for the childe and for the bond-woman in all that Sarah shal say vnto thee heare her voice which was to cast out the bond-woman and her sonne Ismael For saith GOD in Isaac shall thy seede be called Here obserue a notable practice of Abraham as a good direction how we ought to iudge of all those that liue in the Church submitting themselues outwardly to the ministerie and regiment thereof Abraham here hath two sonnes Isaac and Ismael he circumciseth them both and instructs them both for he taught all his houshold to knowe God and to feare and obey him Gen. 18.19 hee iudgeth them both to be in one state in regard of Gods couenant though they were not but that difference is made by God Abraham doth not on his own head and by his own will put Ismael out of the Church which was in his family but God bids him put him out and then he put him out and not before till such time he kept him in and held him to be within the couenant as well as Isaac was Euen so must we deale towards those that liue in the church secret iudgement must bee left to God and till God manifest the contrary in the iudgement of charity wee must holde them all elect This is the practice of Saint Paul in all his Epistles writing to the Corinths 1. Corinth 1.2 he calls them all sanctified and to the Galatians Gal. 1.2 hee calles them all elect speaking so in the iudgement of charitie although he knew that among them there were many profane and wicked men and though hee reprooue many great errors and hainous sinnes amongst them And thus much of the first argumēt wherby Abrahams faith is commended vnto vs namely the great impediments which might hinder the same Now followeth the second Argument or reason wherby his faith is commended to wit Abrahams victory ouer these impediments or the meanes whereby he ouercame them and induced himselfe to obey GOD in these words VERSE 19. For he considered or reasoned that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead HEre is the true cause that made Abraham to offer his sonne and yet beleeue the promise that in him his seed should be called Wee may perswade our selues that Abraham had rather haue died himselfe if it might haue stood with the will of God than to haue sacrificed his sonne How then doth he induce himselfe to offer him vp Ans. By this which is here set downe he reasoned that God was able to raise him vp euen from the dead Here are diuers points to be considered of vs First obserue the text saith not that Abraham murmured or reasoned against God but reasoned with himselfe that God was able to raise vp his sonne againe and thereby induced himselfe to sacrifice his sonne vnto God Hence wee learne that when God laies vpon vs any hard commandement wee must not plead the case with God or murmure against him but with all quietnesse and meekenesse obey This is a notable grace of God commended vnto vs by God himselfe In rest and quietnesse saith God Isay 30.15 shall be your strength in quietnesse and confidence shall yee bee saued Many thinke it impossible to endure or doe some things which God imposeth on his children But our spirituall strength stands in these two in silence or rest and in quietnesse by these wee shall be enabled When Nadab and Abihu the sonnes of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord which hee had not commaunded There went out a fire from the Lord and deuoured them so they died before the Lord. Now when Aaron their father asked Moses a cause hereof Moses saide It was that which the Lord spake he would be glorified in all that came neere him which when Aaron heard the Text saith He heide his peace and said not a word so Dauid behaued himselfe in the case of distresse I helde my peace and saide nothing because thou Lord diddest it And this is a speciall point for vs to learne and practice wee must not grudge or repine at Gods hard commaundements nor pleade the case with him but in all quietnesse and silence obay God in all that he saith vnto vs. Againe whereas it is said that Abraham reasoned that God was able c. Here we learne that it is a necessary thing for a man that beleeues to haue good knowledge in Gods word that when a temptation comes against his faith by knowledge and reasoning out of Gods word hee may be able to put backe the same for all our reasoning in matters of faith must be grounded on the word so doth Abraham in this place against this strong temptation reason out of Gods word to stay himselfe so that knowledge in the word of God is necessary to him that beleeues And therefore that Doctrine of the Church of Rome is erronious and here condemned which saith that if a man become deuout beleeue as the Church beleeueth though he knowe not what the Church beleeueth yet this faith will saue him but this is a meere deuice of their owne and hath no ground in the word of God for as we see heere knowledge in the word is necessary for him that hath true sauing faith But what is Abrahams argument whereby hee moues himselfe to obay God Surely this Hee reasoned that God was able to raise vp Isaac from the dead One part of his reason he takes for graunted which heere hee conceales for this promise was made vnto him In Isaac shall thy seede be called Now this he takes for graunted that God will neuer change his promise From whence hee reasoneth thus God is able to raise vp Isaac my sonne from the dead to life againe and therefore I will sacrifice my sonne according to his commaundement for this I knowe certainly that in Isaac shall my seede be called seeing God hath promised that as well as he commaundeth this other In this example wee see a meanes set downe vnto vs to enduce vs to obey God in all hard and difficult cases imposed by God which is a point to be considered carefully of euery one of vs. For say that any of vs shall be so touched in conscience for our sinnes that we euen despaire of our owne saluation what must we doe in this case wee must take Abrahams course and dispute with our selues for our selues we must drawe our arguments from the promise of God and from the power of God we must ioyne the promise and power of GOD together As for example thus wee must say God hath made this promise this I haue heard and I doe beleeue it
them otherwhile his holy Angels brought them messages from GOD and sometime they had his will reuealed vnto them by dreames and visions all which were notable helpes and meanes both to beginne and to encrease faith in them but Ioseph wanted all these meanes or at least many of them For reade his whole Historie and you shall not finde that either Angell appeared vnto him or else that GOD by dreames and visions spake vnto him and no meruaile For hee liued out of the visible Church where GODs presence was in superstitious and Idolatrous Egypt and yet for all this hee is heere matched in the matter of faith with the three worthie Patriarchs It is then a good question how Ioseph should come by this faith Answer We must knowe this that though he had not the like extraordinarie meanes with the Patriarches yet he wanted not all meanes for in his younger dayes hee was trayned vp in his Father Iacobs family and by him was instructed in the wayes of God and in the practice of religion and in his later dayes also he had the benefit of his Fathers company and instructions in Egypt Now Iacob was not an ordinarie Father but a notable Patriarch and an holy Prophet in whose family God had placed his visible Church in those dayes wherin Iacob was the Lords Prophet and Minister Now Ioseph both in his young age and also after his Father came to Egypt did heare and learne of him the wayes of God and by that meanes came to this excellent faith for which he is so commended here and matched with his Fathers the holy Patriarchs Hence we learne that the preaching of Gods word by his Ministers though extraordinarie meanes as reuelations and visions be wanting is sufficient to bring a man to faith yea to such a faith as the three Patriarchs had Indeede in the ministerie of the word hee which speaketh vnto vs is but a man as others are but yet the word which he deliuereth is not his own but the mighty word of God and looke what is truly pronounced by him vnto vs out of Gods word the same is as certainly sealed vnto vs by his spirit as if God himselfe from heauen should extraordinarily reueale the same And howsoeuer in former times men had visions and dreames and Angels from God himselfe to reueale his will vnto them yet this Ministerie of Gods word in the new Testament is as sufficient a meanes of the beginning and encreasing of true faith as that was then This plainly confuteth all those that neglect or contemne the Ministerie and preaching of the word looke for extraordinarie reuelations and for visions dreames for the begetting and encrease of faith and grace in their hearts But our Sauiour Christ doth notably checke all such in the Parable of the rich man by the words of Abraham to Diues saying of Diues brethren that they had Moses and the Prophets if they will not heare them neither will they beleeue though one should come from the dead againe Verse 31 insinuating that if a man will not beleeue by the preaching of the word there is nothing in the world will make him to beleeue neither reuelations nor visions no not the words of them that rise againe from the dead Secondly the consideration of the sufficiencie of Gods ordinance in the holy Ministerie to beget and to encrease true faith must stirre vs vp to all care and diligence not onely to heare the word of God preached vnto vs but to profit by it both in knowledge and obedience and thus much for the first point The second point to be handled is the commendation of Iosephs faith by two actions thereof to wit 1. His mention of the departure of the children of Israell out of Egypt 2. His commaundement concerning his bones Of both which we will speake briefely because the speciall points herein were handled in the former verse For the first Ioseph when hee died made mention of the departing of the children of Israell that is out of Egypt into Canaan Here we may obserue a most notable worke of faith it makes a man to keepe in memory the mercifull promises which God hath made vnto him This is it which commends Iosephs faith for a liuely faith That being about to die he remembreth this mercifull promise of God made to his fore-fathers touching their posterity to wit that after they had cōtinued as seruants in a strange Land 400. yeares they should then haue a good issue and a happy deliuerance and be brought into the Land of Canaan Gen. 15.13 This is a notable work of faith as may appeare by two notable effects hereof in the life of a Christian For first by this remembrance of Gods mercifull promises the seruant of God at all times and in all distresses and extremities doth finde comfort vnto his soule This brings to his memory the wonderfull goodnesse and mercy of God by which he is comforted When Dauid was in a most desperate case so as he cried out by reason of affliction and temptation Will the Lord absent himselfe for euer and will hee shew no more fauour Is his mercy cleane gone doth his mercy faile for euermore Psal. 77 with such like most fearefull speaches How did he then comfort himselfe in this distresse Answ. Surely by remembring the works of the Lord and his wonders of olde and by meditating in all his workes and gracious acts which he had done for him So likewise in another place in great anguish of spirit he saith to his soule Why art thou cast down my soule and why art thou disquieted within me Psalm 43.5 Yet in the next words hee thus stayes himselfe Waite on God for I will yet giue thankes vnto him he is my present help and my God How came Dauid to say so in this distresse Answer By meanes of faith which doth reuiue and refresh the dead heart of man by bringing to his remembrance the mercifull promises of God Saint Paul pressed with corruption cried out O wretched man that I am who shall deliuer me from the body of this death Rom. 7.24 Yet in the next words he saith I thanke my God through Iesus Christ our Lord Then I my selfe in my minde serue the Law of God c. How come the latter words to followe on the former Answer In the first words indeede he is cast downe with the view and sight of his naturall corruption which drew him headlong into sinne but yet the later words are a remembrance of the mercifull deliuerance from sinne which GOD had wrought in him by Christ and therefore hee breaketh out to this saying I thanke my God through Iesus Christ c. Secondly the remembrance of Gods promises serueth to be a meanes to keepe a man from sinne for mans nature is as readie and prone to sinne as fire is to burne when fewell is put to it But when by faith hee calls to minde Gods mercifull promises especially those which are
make the same colour appeare on the water But this neede not to trouble any man for the holy Ghost vseth the same name which commonly the men of that countrey gaue vnto it And thus much of their fact that they by faith passed through the redde sea Now we come to the two circumstances whereby it is commended The first circumstance is the manner of their going through the red sea they went through as on dry land This must not be conceiued to be by help of bridge or shippe nor by meanes which men vse as swimming failing or wading but their passage was miraculous for the waters stood like walls on both sides of them And the channel of the sea was as a pauement or dry land Exod. 14.22 which notably setteth forth the strangenesse of this fact shewing that it was a wonderfull work of God And this also confuteth certaine enemies of the Scripture who haue cauilled at all the miracles which are recorded therein accounting of Moses but as a Magician and Sorcerer of the miracles which he did as of illusions and for this miracle they make no account of it for say they Moses being a great scholler and a wise man knew the time of the rise and fall of the waters knew the fords and shallowe places therfore he took his time and found a place so shallow that when the tide was past the sands were bare dry as the marshes in England are and then he led the hoast of Israell through But Pharaoh his hoast following them were drowned because they went through at the flowing of the sea Ans. Whereas they say that this their passage was no miracle heere we see it is ouerthrowen by this circumstance of the maner of their passing ouer for the bottom of the sea was as a pauement as ground on which no waters fal Now in most places of the sea where the waters ebb and flowe the ground is neuer fully dry but watery and full of moist places Againe the waters passed not away as at an ebbe but stoode as walls on each side of the hoast of Israell both on the right hand and on the left both which shew plainely there was no vantage taken by the ebbing and flowing of the water as vngodly Atheists do cauill deriding Gods works to their own destructioÌ„ but a mighty miraculous work of God first making the waters stand like two walls and then making the earth vnder it firme dry contrary to nature in them both The 2. circumstance is concerning the time when they passed through euen then when the Egyptians assaying to doe the same were drowned Marke the words for the thing is strange The Egyptians come armed after the Israelites with a huge great Armie Now the Israelites they take into the sea and the Egyptians seeing them stand not still vpon the banke but aduenture after them not by ship but the same way that the Israelites tooke before them but yet without any warrant or commaundement from God so great was their malice against them yet a man would haue thought they durst neuer haue aduentured into the sea after them especially as they did Here by this fact of Pharaoh his men we learne that when God forsakes a man and leaues him to himselfe he doth nothing else but run headlong to his own destructioÌ„ God as Moses saith raised vp Pharaoh to shew his power vpon him and now it pleaseth God to leaue him to himselfe and he pursueth the Israelites to his own destruction And this is the course and state of all those that are forsaken of God The consideration whereof must teach vs a speciall clause to be vsed of vs in our prayers wee must euer remember to pray for this That God would neuer wholly forsake vs nor cast vs off This condition is more fearefull than the estate and condition of any creature in the world besides for when God forsakes a man all that he doth is hastening himselfe to his owne destruction Dauid knew this well and therefore he praies Oh knit my heart vnto thee that I may feare thy name Psal. 86.11 And againe he praieth that the Lord would not forsake him ouer-long Psal. 119.8 as if he should say if it be thy pleasure to try me by leauing me to my selfe yet O Lord let it be but for awhile forsake me not ouer-long This is the scope of the sixt petition Leade vs not into temptation where wee are taught to pray that God would not forsake vs or leaue vs to our selues or to the power of Satan but that he would be with vs and shew his power in our weaknesse continually And this may enforce vs vnto this petition for the consideration That men forsaken of GOD doe nothing but worke their owne destruction is many times a cause of great trouble of minde For some desiring to see such as hang or drowne themselues by beholding of them get this conceite into their heads that God will likewise forsake them as he hath done these whom they behold so shall they make away themselues whence followeth great trouble anguish of soule for a long time Now how must a man or woman in this case helpe themselues Answere The best way is by prayer to craue at Gods hands that he would euer be with them and neuer wholly forsake them And further this must be remembred withall that GOD will neuer forsake any of his seruants before they first forsake him and therefore they that can say truly and vnfainedly that they desire to serue God and to be his seruants and seeke this blessing by prayer they may stand fast on this ground that God will neuer forsake them till they first forsake him And therefore Azariah the Prophet saith notably to King Asa 2. Chron. 15.2 The Lord will be with you while you be with him and if ye seeke him hee will be found of you but if ye forsake him hee will forsake you And Iames saith Draw neere to God and he will draw neere to you Iames 4.8 It was neuer heard that God did euer forsake any that did seeke him And if the causes were knowen why men make away themselues it would prooue generally to be thus because they first by some fearefull sins haue forsaken God then he in his Iustice forsakes them And therfore they that are troubled with this temptation must pray that they may sticke fast vnto God by faith and holinesse so will â—e neuer forsake them Secondly in this circumstance that the Egyptians following the Israelites were drowned we haue a notable pattern of the state condition of all persecuters of Gods church In Pharaoh and his hoast wee may see their end which is vsually destruction that is their reward for persecuting Gods Church Cain slaies Abell that notable seruant of GOD but his reward was this hee was cast forth of Gods Church Gen. 4.11.13 and striken in Gods iust iudgement with finall desperation
keeping of it is a doubling of the sin Dauid in his anger had sworn to slay Nabal and all the men in his family for denying reliefe vnto his seruants 1. Sam. 25.22 This was a rash oath and therfore afterward when hee was preuented by Abigails good counsell hee blesseth God for it and breakes his oath which hee had made vers 32. Quest. 2. What if a man take an oath and yet afterward in consciēce doubts of the lawfulnes of that which he hath sworne to do what must be don in this case Ans. So long as he doubteth hee must defer the performāce of it For he that doth a thing doubtingly condemnes himselfe in the thing he doth because he doth it not of faith and whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 Quest. 3. What if a man be vrged by feare to take an oath must hee afterward keepe it As for example a man is taken of theeues now wanting money they charge him on paine of death to fetch them money and they binde him hereto by an oath what must bee done in this case considering there must such great care bee had in keeping of an oath Answ. So long as the thing which hee is bound by oath to doe respecteth his priuate dammage onely he must keep his oath yet so as he declare his case to the Magistrate because their course is against the common good now the Magistrate hearing of it is according to equity to prouide for his defence for the safety of his goods A second point to be considered in Rahabs preseruation is this Rahab escaped a common danger but not without all meanes onely staying her selfe on the bare promise of the Spies but as shee beleeued in the true God so shee vsed meanes whereby shee might bee sure of her preseruation and that is this Shee bindes the Spies by an oath to saue her life and to spare her houshold also shee keepes within and ties the corde of red threed in her windowe according to their mutuall couenant Thus shee vseth meanes for her temporall safety and so haue other of GODs children done in like case When King Hezekiah 2. Kings 20.6 was sicke hee was certified by the Prophet from GOD that hee should liue fifteene yeares longer yet hee neglected not the meanes whereby he should be healed and liue for hee applied dry figges to his byle and vsed foode and raiment for his bodily life during the whole space of those fifteene yeares So the Apostle S. Paul in his voyage by Sea to Rome was assured by a vision that none of them that were with him should perish but all come safe to land and yet when the Mariners would haue gone out hee tels the Centurion that vnlesse those staied in the ship that so they might vse the ordinary means they could not be safe Now as it fareth temporally for the saving of the body so is it in the spirituall case for the salvation of the soule men must vse means to come by grace so to salvation But many in this regard be great enemies to their owne soules they say God is mercifull and Christ is a Saviour I hope he will saue me yet they wil not vse the means to come to saluation But if we would be saued thē with our inward faith we must ioyn the obseruatiō of the outward ordinary means whereby God vseth to saue mens soules as namely the hearing of Gods word calling vpon God by prayer and the receiuing of the sacraments that thereby our sinfull lyues may bee amended and our faith strengthened This must bee remembred of vs for they that contemne or neglect the means despise the grace and mercy of God offered therein and therfore Paul saith of the Iewes when they put the Gospel from them that they did iudge themselues vnworthy eternall life Act. 13.46 It followeth With them that disobeyed That is with the people of Iericho Quest. How did they disobey Ans. Thus When Iosuah and the people came vnto them and offered them peace if so be they would becom their tributaries and seruants the inhabitants of Iericho would not yield vnto thē but set themselues against the people of Israel and so against God in that they would not vndertake that estate which God offered vnto them and therefore they are here esteemed disobedient Hence we learne that if it shall please God at any time to put vs out of these temporary benefits which we enioy in goods and possessions wee must bee contented with Gods will and prouidence and seeke to obey God therein The inhabitants of Iericho pay deerely for their disobedience in this case God sets the Israelites as Lords over them and because they will not yield to become their seruants they die for it Dauids practice was commendable in this case for when he was put out of his owne Kingdom by his owne sonne hee murmured not but said thus If I shall finde fauour in the eies of the Lord he will bring me againe but if he say thus I haue no delight in thee beholde here I am let him doe to me as seemeth good in his eies 2. Sam. 15.25 26. In other countries we see Cities and Townes spoyled and sacked what must the people doe Answ. They must submit themselues to the Lords pleasure knowing that he permitteth it who may doe what he will And so if it shall please God to bring vs into the like case as to suffer our enemies to haue dominion ouer vs and to dispossesse vs of our places we must submit our selues to Gods good pleasure when wee see no helpe by lawfull meanes wee must not murmure or rebell for that is but to disobey as the people of Iericho did and so shall we be destroyed as they were And thus much for the second point The third thing to be considered in this example is the testimony of her faith in receiuing the Spies peaceably This was a notable worke of faith as Saint Iames noteth Iam. 2.25 and the more commendable because shee receiued them into her house and entertained them yea shee preserued them in danger of her owne life for shee did it contrary to the pleasure of the State vnder which shee liued But against this may be obiected first that shee lyed in this fact for when the King of Iericho's messengers came to search for the Spies whom shee had hid in the top of her house shee said to the messengers they were gone another way Now how can it bee a good worke which was don with lying especially to our Superior who hath power to aske vs and to whom wee are double bound to speake the truth Answ. Wee must knowe that the worke was good which shee did and a worke of mercy to preserue Gods people although shee failed in the manner of doing it shee receiued them by faith though shee shewed distrust in lying for their safetie It was a notable worke of Rebecca Gen. 27. to cause her sonne Iacob to
get his fathers blessing for so God had determined and yet shee failed in the manner Quest. But how could this worke be good being faulty in the manner of doing it Ans. It might for Rebecca's person stood righteous before God in Christ. Now the worker beeing acceptable vnto God the worke must needs be good also and though the worker failed in the circumstances yet the euill of the worke was couered in the obedience of Christ and so the goodnes of it was approoued and the fault thereof couered The vse of this doctrine is two-folde first it shews that the works of Gods children are partly good and partly bad euen the best works they doe are imperfect Secondly this shewes the true meaning of Saint Iames when hee saith that Rahab was iustified by her works hereby he means that by her works she declared her selfe to be iust For that shee was not iustified by her works appeareth plaine because the worke which shee did was faulty in the manner and not perfectly good and therfore could not be answerable to the perfect iustice of God But some will further say that this concealing of the Spies and lying to the Kings messengers was a worke of Treachery against her owne country and therefore was a notorious fault and so no worke of faith Answ. Treachery indeed is as great villany as one man can practice against another and therefore ought to bee abhorred and detested of all men but yet wee must knowe that Rahab in this place is no Traytor For she had a plaine Certificat in her conscience that the Land of Canaan and the citie Iericho were giuen by the Lord to the people of Israel and that they were the right Lords thereof and should enioy them so that she hid the Spies not in treachery but in faith Thus wee see her facte The duties which wee learne hence are these First it is said that this harlot Rahab beeing by calling an Hostesse and a Victualler receiued the spies peaceably Hence Inn-keepers are taught their dutie First if they will shew themselues faithfull they must haue special regard and respect vnto such guests of theirs as be the seruants of GOD and feare him This was the worke of Rahabs faith towards the spies of Gods people Dauid makes this the property of euery godly man That in his eyes a vile person is contemned but hee honoureth them that feare the Lord Psalme 15. verse 4 And therefore if Inn-keepers will shewe themselues godly they must so doe And to encourage each one heereto our Sauiour Christ makes this notable promise Matthew chapter 10. verse 41 Hee that receiueth a Prophet in the name of a Prophet shall receiue a Prophets reward and hee that receiueth a iust man in the name of a iust man shall receiue a iust mans reward And if any shall giue to one of these little ones to drinke a cuppe of colde water onely in the name of a Disciple Verily I say vnto you hee shall not lose his reward Also Strangers are heere taught that in seeking places for their abode they must make choyse to bee with those that feare the Lord so GOD directs these spies to doe And when Christ sent his Disciples to preach he bade them Mathew chapter 10. verse 11 when they entred into a Citie To enquire who is worthy in that Citie and there to abide till they departed But alas these duties are little performed especially the first For Inn-keepers and such as entertaine Strangers doe make most of those that giue themselues to ryote and good fellowâ—hip they are best welcom that spend most in gaming drinking and lasciuiousnesse These might learne otherwise of Rahab who did better though she had beene an harlot Thirdly In-keepers must here learne that when a man comes into their house if he be no malefactor they must giue him protection Thus Rahab doth heere to the spies of the Israelites euen with the danger of her owne life The like also we may reade of Lot for when two Angels in the likenesse of men came into his house and the men of Sodome would haue had them out Lot besought them to let them alone Gen. 19.8 And his reason is because they came vnder the shadow of his roofe Againe hence we may learne another generall duty to wit that a Christian man in the time of persecution danger is not to discouer his fellow brethren or to detect them but must rather indanger his owne life by concealing them for their preseruation This was practiced by good Obadiah when Iesabel killed the Lords Prophets he hid them by fifties in a Caue which if it had been knowen would haue cost him his life And so did the Apostles and brethren in the Primitiue Church when the Iewes would haue slaine Paul in Damascus the brethren tooke him by night and let him downe through the wall in a basket to saue his life Acts 9.25 And since those times in the History of the Church vnder the Gospell wee may finde that when the Christians were vrged by persecuters to reueale their brethren they rather chose to lay down their owne lyues then to betray their brethreÌ„ into their enemies hands And this is true loue indeede such as the holy Ghost commendeth When a man will giue his life for his brother 1. Iohn 3.16 Lastly whereas Rahab receiued the spies peaceably wee note that it is a speciall fruite of faith to be peaceable and kinde The holy Ghost repeating the fruites of the spirit names Peace and meeknesse among them Now this peace is when a man is kinde and peaceable to all but especially to those that â—e of the houshold of faith And vndoubtedly it is a fruite of faith which the Prophet Isay fore-told should be vnder the Gospel Isay 11.6 that then the Wolfe should dwell with the Lamb and the Leopard lie with the Kid signifying that howsoeuer men by nature were as sauage as Wolues yet beeing conuerted to the Kingdome of Christ they should become gentle as Lambs being kinde and peaceable one to another This peaceablenesse is especially to be shewed in the place and calling where a man liues for there did Rahab shew forth hers when the spies came vnto her And where this is truly in outward action there is faith in the heart it is a good token that a man is at peace with God when he liues peaceably with men Which being so we must learne not to giue place to our heady affections but must rather bridle the rage of malice and anger and endeuour to liue peaceably with all especially with those that be members of Gods Church And thus much of this example The Iudges Faith VERSE 32. And what shall I say more For the time would be too short for me to tell of Gedeon of Barac and of Samson and of Iephte Also of Dauid and Samuel and of the Prophets Which through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought righteousnesse c. HItherto the Author of this Epistle hath
did it not so much as burne their garments or the haire of their heads to cause the same to smel And the like is his goodnesse towards all his seruants Dauid saith The Lord preuented him with liberall blessings that is when Dauid neuer asked such blessings at Gods hand euen then did the Lord bestowe his liberall blessings vpon him as namely this when Dauid was following his Fathers sheepe and walking in his calling he neuer dreamed of any Kingdome yet thence the Lord took him to be King ouer his people Israell So the Israelites hauing been 70. yeares in captiuity neuer thought of returne and yet then were they deliuered and their deliuerance was so strange and miraculous that they were like them that dreame Psal. 126.1 When Peter was cast into prison by Herod and committed to foure quaternions of Souldiers to be kept the Angel of the Lord came and awoke him as he slept and led him out of prison past the watches and through the iron gate and then left him Now this deliuerance was so strange vnto him that he knew not whether it was true but thought he had seene a vision From hence it is that God hath made this gracious promise vnto his Church to answer before they call and to heare while they speake Isay 65.24 So endlesse is his mercy and his goodnesse so vnspeakeable towards his seruants that if they cleaue vnto him vnfainedly they shall finde his bounty farre surpassing all that they could aske or thinke The consideration hereof serues to stirre vp euery one of vs in our places to cleaue vnfainedly vnto the true God with all our hearts by faith in due reuerence and obedience If a seruant were to choose his Master and among an hundred should heare of one that besides his wages would giue vnto his seruants gifts which they would not think of this seruant would forsake all the rest to com vnto this one Behold the Lord our God is this bountifull master who doth not only keep couenant with his seruāts in a full accomplishment of his promises but is exceeding gracious preuenting them with liberall blessings aboue all that they can wish for thēselues wherfore let vs forsake all our bad Masters the world the flesh and the diuell in the seruice of sinne and resigne our selues with full purpose of heart to serue this our good GOD to the end of our dayes There is no man liuing that can haue such cause of true ioy in heart as Gods seruants haue for God shewes more kindenesse vnto them then they can aske or thinke of And take this for truth also there be none that thus giue themselues to serue God faithfully with all their harts but before they die they shal finde this to be true that God is a most mercifull GOD and his goodnesse endlesse towards them aboue their deserts Secondly this endlesse mercy of GOD must mooue vs all to repent vs of our sinnes and to trust in him for the pardon of them be they neuer so many or haynous for they can neuer reach to the multitude of his mercies Though they be in number like the sand of the sea they must not dismay vs from comming to him but considering that his goodnesse is endlesse and his mercy is ouer all his workes we must come vnto him for the pardon of our sinnes For GOD is mercifull to performe his promise yea and beyond his promise to doe for vs more than wee can thinke of Many indeede abuse this mercie of GOD by presuming thereon to goe on in sinne but such deceiue themselues For God will not be mercifull vnto them Deut. 29.20 It is the penitent person that shall finde mercy The sixt effect of their faith is in these words Escaped the edge of the sword The words in the originall are thus Escaped the mouth of the sword which is the Hebrew phrase in the olde Testament and heere followed by the Pen-man of this Epistle and before where he calleth the word of God a two mouthed sword Heb. 4.12 hereby meaning as it is translated a two edged sword This effect must be vnderstood of two worthy Prophets Elias and Elizeus for Elias wee may reade that when he had slaine Baals Priests 1. Kings 19.1 Iezabel the Queene threatened to kill him which he hearing fled into the wildernesse and thence was led to Mount Horeb and there escaped by meanes of his faith And for Elizeus wee may reade that when he disclosed the King of Syriah his counsell to the King of Israel 2. Kings 6. hee was compassed about in Dothan the city where he lay with a huge hoast of Assyrians but praying to the Lord the Lord smote the hoast with blindnesse and so the Prophet led them in safetie to Samaria So then the meaning of this effect is that when these seruāts of God were in distresse danger of death they denied themselues and their owne helpe by faith relied vpō God vnfainedly frō the bottom of their hearts so found deliuerance with God frō the perill of death First here wee learne that God prouides for the safetie and deliuerance of his seruants in the extremitie of peril and danger when both might and multitude are against them This point we haue touched in diuers examples before and therefore doe here onely name it Secondly in that these men in the extremity of danger beleeued and so escaped the edge of the sword we learne that when we are in greatest danger so as we see no way to escape euen then wee must put our trust in the true God and he will saue vs. This wee must doe not onely for the safety of our body but more especially for the saluation of our soule Put the case a man were in despaire of his saluation and that hee sees legions of diuels compassing him about to take him away what must this man doe in this case Answ. Looke what Elias and Elizeus did the same thing must hee doe hee must not lie dead in desperation yielding thereto but at the very same time when such terrors oppresse him hee must by faith lift vp his heart to God and put all his trust and confidence in him thorough Christ. And if hee can this doe hee may assure himselfe that hee shall as certainly escape these fearefull terrors of conscience and the torments of hell as Elias Elizeus did the edge of the sword for let a man put his whole trust in God and whatsoeuer his troubles bee God will deliuer him Great are the troubles of the righteous but the Lord deliuers him out of them all Psal. 34.19 Indeed wee must not limit God for time or manner of deliuerance but waite on GOD by faith accounting his grace sufficient till deliuerance come And thus much of the sixt effect The seauenth effect of their faith is this Of weake were made strong Or thus Of weake were restored to health This must bee vnderstood of Hezekias a worthy king of
these our bodies be they neuer so miserably tormented here shall one day rise to life and glory by Iesus Christ. All the true Martyrs of Christ knewe and were resolued of this and this it was that made them so confident in their sufferings And if wee can attaine vnto it we shall finde great vse hereof both in life and death For our lyues this will moue vs to embrace true religion from our hearts and in all things to indeauour to keep a good conscience This Paul testifieth Act. 24.15 16 for hauing made profession of his hope in the resurrection both of iust and vniust he saith And herein I endeauour my selfe to haue alwaies a cleere conscience both towards God and towards men And for death this perswasion also is of great vse for it will notably stay the heart against the naturall feare of death It is a wonder to see how terrible the thoughts of death are to many a one Now this feare ariseth hence that they are not in heart resolued of their resurrection to life and glory at the last day for if they were they would endeuour themselues with patience and with comfort to vndergoe the pangs thereof though neuer so terrible Secondly hence we must learne so to leade this temporall life that when we are dead our bodies may rise againe to life eternall These Martyrs are a notable precedent herein vnto vs for they are so resolute to holde that course of life which hath the hope of glory that they will rather lose temporall life then leaue that course And indeede this duty is so necessary that vnlesse we order wel this temporall life we can neuer haue hope to rise to glory Quest. How should we leade this temporall life that we may rise to glory after death Answer This S. Iohn teacheth vs Reuel 20 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath his part in the first resurrection for on such the second death hath no power Wee must therefore labour earnestly to haue our part heerein This first resurrection is spirituall wrought in the soule by the holy Ghost causing him that is by nature dead in sinne to rise to newnesse of life whereof whosoeuer is truly partaker shall vndoubtedly rise to glory For they that are quickned in Christ frō the death of sin are made to sit together in heauenly places in Christ Iesus Eph. 2.5.6 Naturall death may seuer soule body for a time but it can neuer hinder the fruition of eternall life Wherefore as we desire this life which is eternall when we are dead so let vs frame our naturall liues to die vnto sinne while we are aliue Verse 36. And others haue beene tried by mockings and scourgings yea moreouer by bonds and prisonment The second kinde of suffering wherewith the seruants of God were then tried is mocking Touching the which we may obserue diuers points First whence it came No doubt it came from vngodly persons that were enemies to Gods Church true religion for here it is made a part of the triall of Gods Church by the enemies thereof Heere then beholde the state of mockers and scoffers at the seruants of God they are heere accounted wicked wretches and enemies to God and to his truth So Saint Iude speaking of certaine false Prophets which were crept into the Church calls them vngodly men Iude 4 which hee prooues afterward by their black mouth in euill speaking verse 8.10 And Ismaell is accounted a persecuter by the holy Ghost for mocking Isaac Galatians chapter 4. verse 29. And Dauid reckoning vp the degrees of sinners makes the chaire of the scornfull the third and highest Psalme 1.1 All these places shew the haynousnesse of this sinne and therefore if any of vs young or olde high or lowe haue beene ouertaken with it heeretofore let vs now repent and leaue it for it is odious in Gods sight Thou that art a scoffer mayst flatter thy selfe and thinke all is well let the matter prooue how it can words are but winde But knowe thy case is fearefull for as yet thou wantest the feare of God and art an enemie to Christ and his religion and one day thou shalt be iudged not onely for thy wicked deedes but for all thy cruell speakings Iude verse 15. Secondly whereas these seruants of God were tried by mockings it shewes that Gods Church in this world is subiect to this affliction It is not a thing newly begunne in this age of ours but hath beene alwayes in Gods Church from the beginning Genesis chapter 21. verse 9 Ismaell mocked Isaac and Isay brings in Christ complaining thus Isay chapter 8. verse 18 Beholde I and my children whom the Lord hath giuen me are as signes and wonders in Israell And Ieremie saith I am in derision daily euery one mocketh me Ieremie chapter 20. verse 7 Yea our Sauiour Christ vpon the Crosse when hee was working the blessed worke of mans redemption was euen then mocked by the spitefull Iewes Mat. 27.41 And Paul was mocked of the Athenians for preaching Christ and the resurrection Acts 17.18 Now if this haue been the estate of Christ our head of his most worthy Prophets and Apostles to be mocked scorned then must no child of God at this day think to escape for if they haue done this to the green tree what wil they doe to the dry Wherefore if we belong to Christ we must prepare for it and arme our selues with patience to vndergoe this triall The Disciple is not aboue his master nor the seruant aboue his Lord. If they haue called the Master of the house Beelzebub how much more them of the house Mat. 10.24 25 Thirdly whereas these seruants of God were tried by mockings and did endure the same by faith here we learn how to behaue our selues when we are subiect to mocking and derision especially for religions sake We must not returne mock for mock and taunt for taunt but with meeknesse of heart learne to beare the same When Christ was vpon the Crosse the Iewes most shamefully mocked him yet euen then did Christ pray for them And the same was Dauids behauiour as we may reade notably Psal. 38. verse 12 13 14 When his enemies spake euill of him what did hee Did hee raile on them againe No Hee was as a deafe man and heard not and as a dumbe man which openeth not his mouth euen as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofes This was a rare thing in Dauid that he could thus bridle his affections in the case of reproach but read the 15. verse and wee shall see the cause Hee trusted in the Lord his God also hee considered the hand of God in their reproaches as 2. Samuel chapter 16. ver 10 and these things made him silent This example we must looke vpon and learne hereby with patience to possesse our soules vnder reproach The third kinde of suffering is Scourging They were not onely mocked for religion but also whipped and
witnesse but rather be excepted against as altogether vnworthy and so would prooue a discredit to his friends cause a shame to himself so it is with vs in Christs cause if we professe in word deny indeed we discredit Christ and his profession shame our selues for euer And therfore we must be carefull not only in word and iudgement but in life conuersation to make a true constant confession of Christ and of his truth And thus much for the exhortation Now followeth the 2. point to be obserued in this verse namely the manner how Gods Church people may put in practice this worthy exhortation of the holy Ghost To be constant in the faith And this consists in three duties 1. They must cast away that which presseth downe 2. They must cast away that sin that hangeth so fast on or sin which so readily doth compasse vs about 3. They must run the race that is set before them with patience Whosoeuer in Gods Church either Iew or Gentile can performe these 3. things shall be able no doubt to follow the counsell of the holy Ghost cōtinue cōstant in the faith vnto the end Of these 3. in order The 1. thing then to be done is this We must cast away that which presseth down or thus Cast away the waight or burthen for so much the word in the originall signifieth euen that burthen which so presseth down the poore Christian that he cannot goe on forward in the course of godlinesse and Christianity By burthen or weight here we must vnderstand 5. things 1. The loue of this temporall life 2. Care for earthly things 3. Riches temporal wealth 4. Worldly honour preferments 5. Worldly delights and pleasures All these are things which lie heauy on mans soule as weighty burthens which presse it downe especially then when the soule should lift vp it self to seek heauenly things So in the Parable of the Sower riches pleasures cares for the things of this life are called thornes which choake the word of God in a mans heart and make it vnfruitfull And surfetting drunkennes are said to be things which oppress the heart and make it heauy And easie it were to shewe by many testimonies that all these fiue things do press down the heart especially then when it should be lifted vp in the seeking of heauenly things Now in this that these 5. things are waighty burdens we may learne first what is the cause that in these our daies euery where the Gospel of Christ being published preached expoūded takes so little place in mēs hearts whether we regard knowledge vnderstanding or affection and obedience For Gods word is a word of power mighty in operation how comes it to passe then that the ground is barren where it is cast why makes it not men learned religious Ans. Surely in euery place where the word of God is preached especially among vs these fiue things possess the hearts of men exercise all the thoghts of the minde and affections of the heart From whence it commeth to passe that after long preaching there is little fruit or profit either for knowledge or obedience for where the heart is pressed downe with the waight of these earthly things there the word of God can take no place nor bring forth fruit And this is generally true among vs though we heare Gods word from year to year and thereby might increase in knowledg obediēce if we would yet in many there is little shew of either and the cause is in these worldly cares which take place in our hearts For this is a most certaine truth that so long as our hearts are addicted to the greedy seeking after these earthly things honour pleasures c. so long will the ground of our hearts bee barren The good seed of Gods word may be sowen therein but little fruit shall come thereof saue briers and weeds which will increase our damnation Again whereas the loue of tēporal life care of earthly things c. are sore burdens pressing downe a mans heart from heauen to earth and making it heauy and sad and dead in regard of all spirituall exercises and contemplations Hereby we are taught oftentimes to giue our selues to eleuate and lift vp our mindes and hearts to God partly by meditation in his word partly by inuocation on his name and partly by thanksgiuing And to doe these things the better we must remember to set apart some speciall time euery day for this speciall worke so as we may say with Dauid Psal. 25.1 Lord I lift vp my heart vnto thee Dauid was well acquinted with this exercise and so was Daniel for both of them vsed this as we may read Psa. 55.17 Euening and morning saith Dauid and at noone wil I pray make a noyse And Daniel vsed to pray vnto God 3. times a day wherein he would heartily vnfainedly call vpon God with thanksgiuing And great reason we should do so for wee liue in this world wherein are innumerable waighty things which press down our hearts frō looking vp to heauen therfore we must often practice our selues in holy meditatiō prayer vnto God that so we may lift vp our soules vnto God from the things of this world To vse a fit cōparisō we know that those who keep clocks if they would haue the clock stil going must once or twice a day winde vp the plūmets which cause the wheels to go about because they are still drawing downward Euen so seeing our hearts haue plummets of lead which are worldly cares and desires to press them down from seeking vp to heauen we must doe with our hearts as the clock-keeper doth with his plummets winde them vp vnto God euery day for this ende must set apart some particular time to do the same in holy duties Why doth God command the 7. day to be sanctified and set apart from all bodily exercises worldly cares vndoubtedly it is for this end to cause men to eleuate their hearts from all wordly things to seeke the things aboue else if the minde should be alwaies pressed down with worldly cares it could neuer attain to heauēs ioys He that hath not cōsciēce on the Lords day to lift vp his heart to heauen by prayer and hearing Gods word with meditation theron cannot possibly haue any soundnes in religion nor his heart firmely settled on heauenly things Thirdly whereas the holy Ghost saith That the Hebrewes must cast away the weight that presseth downe Here wee are taught in what manner and how farre forth wee must vse the things of this life as riches honours and lawfull pleasures yea and all temporall blessings whatsoeuer namely so farre forth as they will further vs in the course of religion and in the exercises of godlinesse and vertue and no further But finding by experience that these temporall things be a burden vnto vs pressing vs downe and making vs vnfit for
sinnes and the infusion of inward righteousnesse standing in hope and charity especially And the second wherby of a good man one is made better and more iust and this they say may proceede from the merite of a mans owne workes of grace and hereby they hold a man stands righteous before God But looke how it standes with grace in vs in this life so likewise shal it stand with the same graces at the last day if they bee imperfect now and so not able to iustifie vs before GOD they shall also be found imperfecte then to that purpose and effecte But now they are imperfect as hath beene shewed and therefore cannot then stand for our righteousnesse vnlesse we will imagine that God will then accept of an imperfect Iustice. Wherefore their Doctrine is erroneous a doctrine of all terrour and desperation for who dare aduenture the saluation of his soule vpon his owne righteousnesse Wee denie not but that God accepteth of our sanctification yet not as the matter of our iustification vnto life that onely is the obedience and righteousnesse of Iesus Christ accepted of God for vs and made ours by faith for that alone is aunswerable to the rigour of the Law Thirdly this also sheweth the errour of those who hold that concupiscence or originall sinne is not a quality but an essence or substance liuing and subsisting by it selfe For here wee see a plaine difference betweene a mans body and soule and originall sinne that compasseth them else the holy Ghost would not bid vs to cast off this sinne for that which is of the substance of man cannot by man bee cast off And to make this more plaine we must knowe that in man descending from Adam there be three things 1. The substance of his soule and body 2. The powers and faculties in them both 3. The corruption or bad disposition in those powers and faculties whereby a man is vnconformable to the will of his Creator and prone to that which is euill And this third thing is it which is here spoken of different from mans substance and faculties and so is not a substance in man or mans nature corrupted but an ill disposition therein Fourthly hence also wee learne what a regenerate man doth most feele in himselfe namely originall sinne the corruption of his nature for that hangs on fast and hinders him in the practice of all good duties This Paul knew well and therefore confesseth that hee saw another Law in his members rebelling against the Law of his minde and leading him captiue vnto the Law of sinne which was in his members Rom. 7.23 This caused him to leaue vndone the good which he would haue done and to do the euill which he would not doe Verse 19. And Dauid felt the same thing when he saide I will runne the way of thy commaundements when thou shalt enlarge my heart Why doth Dauid speak of the enlarging of his heart Surely he felt in himselfe this originall sinne which did streicten his good affections so as hee could not put them forth so much as hee would toward the Law of God And when hee saith Psal. 51.12 Stablish me oh Lord by thy free spirit he would giue vs to vnderstand that by originall corruption hee was restrained of his Christian liberty and hindred in all good affections holy actions and heauenly meditations which causeth him to pray for liberty and freedome by the spirit So that it is plaine the seruant of God feeles this corruption clogging and hindering him from all good duties 1. This serues to admonish all secure persons which neuer felt sinne to bee a clogge or burthen vnto them of their fearfull and dangerous estate For to euery childe of God originall corruption is a grieuous burthen Now conferre with a natural man and aske him what imperfections and wants he feeles in himselfe his answer is he neuer was hindered by any corruption in all his life he neuer felt doubting or want of loue either to God or to his brethren he feeles no pride of heart no guile or hypocrisie nor vaine-glory c. If wee take these men vpon their words they are Angels among men but indeede they are blinde and ignorant and wonderfully deceiued by Satan for all Gods seruants in this life doe continually bewaile the corruption of their nature crying out against originall sinne that it hinders them in doing the good things which they would doe and causing them to doe that euill which they would not These men therefore that are neuer troubled with corruption but to their owne thinking haue grace at will are in a fearefull case their mindes are still blinded and their hearts hardned they are dead in sin abiding in darknesse vnto this houre And if they goe thus on to death they shall finde that sinne will vnvizor himselfe and then they shall knowe what sinne meanes and finde the terrour and feele the burthen of it when it is too late like the foolish virgines that knew what the want of oyle meant when the doores were shut Secondly this shewes vnto vs what is the state and condition of the childe of God in this life He is not heere a Saint feeling no corruption perfectly sanctified freed from all sinne but such a one as feeles the burthen of corruption hindering him in his Christian course vnder which hee sighes and groanes labouring by all good meanes to bee disburthened and to cast it off It is indeede a matter of great comfort for a man to feele Gods graces in himselfe as faith loue repentance sanctification and such like but no childe of GOD can alwayes or alone feele the comfort of grace most commonly hee shall be troubled with sinne if he be Gods childe Now if feeling it hee dislike himselfe and striue to bee eased of it this is a sure argument of his happy estate Fiftly this commaundement to cast away sinne that presseth downe teacheth euery childe of GOD to labour earnestly for the gouernment and direction of Gods spirit for wee haue within vs originall corruption that like an armed man besets vs about and hindereth vs in euerie good thing wee take in hand Wee must therefore pray vnto GOD daily that hee would guide vs by his good spirit for by reason of the corruption of our nature and the deceitfulnesse of sinne wee shall vtterly faile vnlesse Gods spirit gouerne vs both in the thoughts of our hearts in the words of our mouthes and the actions of our liues This Dauid knew well and therefore prayeth to the Lord for his good spirit to leade him into the Land of Righteousnesse Psal. 143.10 Lastly seeing wee haue this corruption of nature in vs wee must keepe our hearts with all diligence and set watch and ward about them So Salomon saith Counterguard thy heart my sonne Prouerbs 4.23 Why doth Salomon giue this commandement Surely for special cause for euery man while he liues on earth is compassed about with his owne corrupt nature which like a